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About The Coos Bay times. (Marshfield, Or.) 1906-1957 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1907)
FRIDAY ' EDITION MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS. VOL. II. MARSHFIELD, OREGON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1907. No. 84. SHOULD REFORM THE UNO LAWS President Points Out, in Keo kuk Speech, Changes Are Advisable. LAWS ARE MADE FOR IOWA I)o Not Fit Conditions in Northwest Stone, Timber, and Coal Laws Unjust. "'tohlngton, Oct. 10. It Is evl dent from the president's Keokuk speech that he Is going to undertake seriously to bring about a reform In the public land laws at the coming session of congress; not a general re vision, perhaps, but such changes as will make the laws applicable to present-day conditions. Heretofore land law reform has been practically out of the question because a ma jority of the house committee on public lands was unfavorable to the reforms sought by the president, and because a few powerful senators stood ready to block legislation In the upper branch of congress. Fortunately for the president, and for the bona fide settlers there is to be a reformation of the house pub lic lands committee this coming ses sion, due to the fact that Represen tative Lacy of Iowa, former chair man, was not re-elected to the GOth congress, and the further fact that several other members of the com mittee will not be members of the new congress. This will give an opportunity for Injecting new blood into the committee, and this new blood, if carefully selected, can do much to promote such reform legis lation as Is desired by the president and by the entire west. Representative Lacy was an honest man and he sought to do right, but Mr. Lacy came from a state which Is climatically very different from the states of the Rocky Moun tain and Pacific coast regions .where the bulk of public lands are to be found today. Unfortunately for the west, Mr. Lacy knew litle of condi tions In the west outside of his own state, and being a man of narrow vision, ho believed that land laws ap plicable to Iowa should be adequate for every other state. This very view was particularly criticised by the president at Keokuk, and he pointed out that one of the great reasons why the land laws should be (reformed was to meet conditions found In the Rocky Mountain and Pacific coast states. Reforms for Arid and Grazing Land. The national reclamation law ade quately provides for such of the arid lands as can be rendered arable by irrigation, and up to the present time it Is not apparent that that law needs modification. But there Is a vast domain which will not be af fected by the reclamation act, but which at the same time will never pass to private ownership under the homestead law in Its present shape. The president clearly points out the necessity for amending the home stead law so that lands of this char acter may bo taken in tracts of more than 1G0 ncres, his reference being to lands susceptible of dry farming, or lands that are valuable only for grazing purposes. In his speech the president did not stipulate the amount of this land that should be patented to any one Individual, leav ing that question for Congress to solve. The second reform which he specifically recommends is in regard to the control of public grazing lands. Tho present law absolutely prohibits the erection or maintenance of fences on tho public domain, the law being aimed primarily at large cattle barons who, to serve their sel fish purposes, and to crowd out small stock owners, have In times past un dertaken to monopolize millions of acres of tho public domain. Yet this law, while striking at tho barons, has also affected the small stock men, quite a number of who'm had erected small fences for their own protection, and in a way that could not prevent permanent development of the country. The president real izes that the removal of fences has worked a hardship In many Instances, yet the law is specific, and while the law stands the administration has no preference in tho matter. It must remove the small fences with the large ones. What the prosldent evidently de sires Is a modification of the fencing law, so as to permit the fencing of small areas of tho public grazing lands when such fencing acts as a protection to small stock owners who aro permanent residents in the re gion where their stock are grazed. At tho same time he advocates the exaction of a nominal grazing fee, but only such amount as is required to pay tho cost of administration. Again, the presidont makes no specific recommendation as to the exact type of legislation that should be enacted, leaving congress to de cide Just what is best to meet pres ent conditions in tho west. Genernl Revision Unnecessary. It is doubted if the president will urge congress generally to revise the land laws at tho coming session. There is not so much demand for change in the laws as for change In tho manner of their enforcement. For instance, it is doubtful whether now legislation would materially re duce land frauds. What may be urged, however, In addition to the legislation referred to by the prosldent at Keokuk is a modification of the timber and stone act, and a change in the absolute coal land laws. If tho president makes an especial effort to secure modifications in the land laws, and if the house commit tee Is reorganized along favorable lines, something is likely to be ac complished this winter. At all events, land law reform will be a conspicuous topic. HOTEL COMMITTEE CONSIDERED BIDS Action Deferred Until Saturday Five Architects Submitted Plans Yehtcrdny. The hotel building committee met yesterday in the offlce of J. S. Coke, for tho purpose of receiving and In specting bids for building the $75, 000 hotel which will grace Marsh field before another season passes. Yesterday was tho day advertised for closing the ulds, but the time was extended until Saturday, as it was learned there were other archi tects who were desirous of submit ting plans. The number which came before the committee yester day was five, being the work of J. E. Cayou, of Marshfleld, Travers & Wilson of Portland, H. S. Hlme baugh, Marshfleld, A. H. Eddy, lately from San Jose, California, and Charles Burggraf, of Albany. Tho specifications called for any material, including stone, concrete and brick. Some of tho plans in cluded all these materials, while others provided for concrete or brick. The committee will meet again on Saturday when, it Is be lieved, they will have received all tho bids, and probably bo ready to make a decision as to which plans will b0 adopted. Tho work will be commenced Immediately after the work lslet. The site at tho corner of C and Second streets comprises a plot of land, 100x100 feet. Some of the plans provide for alley ways and other reductions of tho space for the building, and the number of bedrooms planned for in the specifications submitted ranges from 40 to 55. The site has two houses on It, and these will be taken Into tho street when the work is com menced, and used for storing mater ials for th0 building. Tho commit tee Is anxious to have the work under progress just as soon as it can be started without slighting any of the considerations which will en ter into the enterprise. It takes time to work out matters of this sort and tho committee desires to havo everything well planned before commencing, that there will be no changes and consequent delays. Mr. Powers and Family Arrive. Mr. A. H. Powers of the Smith Powers Logging company, returned yesterday from his trip to Minneapo lis, where ho went to close his busi ness affairs and bring his family to Coos Bay. Mr. Powers was absent five weeks, and came with his family on tho .Breakwater. He brought from the east his automobile, a fine span of thoroughbred horses and three dogs from the most noted ken nels in the east. Mr. Powers had expected his home, now under con struction at the corner of Balnos and Washington avenue, would be completed upon his arrival, but the carpenters were unable to complete it in the short time. BEGELQW HAD GREAT PLANS Had Schemed to Extort Money from Firms and Railroads in Denver. AUTHORITIES HAVE HIM Uncle Snm Will Prosecute in Pro tection of Mnils Only Wanted $100,000. Denver, Colo., Oct. 10. Kemp V. Blgelow, tho young clerk from Far mer, Ohio, who mailed dynamite packages last Monday to Governor Buchtel and other prominent citizens of Denver, confessed today ho was also author of the letters mailed August 29 last to the Burlington road, Moffat road and Adams Ex press company, Daniels & Fisher Stores company, May Shoe & Cloth ing company and to Postmaster Paul Sours, demanding amounts varying from $10,000 to $190,00. These letters contained threats that unless his demands were com piled with passenger trains would be wrecked with dynamite, the Dan iels & Fisher and May store and fed eral building would be blown up and C. H. Day, local agent of the express company, would be killed within 30 'days. Blgelow's confession was made to Chief of Police Delaney in the presence of Mr. Day and John F. Vallery, general agent of the Bur lington road in Denver. The letters contained instructions for placing a different mark upon each package and demanded It should be placed in one bundle and thrown from a cer tain Burlington train as it passed the Denver stock yards on tho night of the 30th. A dummy package was made up and thrown off the train as directed. Detectives were In hid ing near the spot designated and kept up a vigil all night, but nobody ap peared. Next morning the package was returned to Agent Day. Blge low will be turned over to the federal authorities and prosecuted on a charge of using the mails to defraud. BREAKWATER WILL HAVE NEW DATES The Breakwater arrived yesterday with her cabins filled with passen gers bent on remaining on Coos Bay if accommodations can be tfound. She had 400 tons of freight, much of It household goods of families who are here to remain permanently. The ship will change her sailing dates after she leaves port, and will hereafter leave Portland every Wed nesday evening at 8 o'clock, and on the return, will leave Coos Bay every Saturday at service of tho tide. Following are the passengers who arrived: J. Blleu, Mrs. Ward, Miss Ward, J. Wahl. Miss J. Davis, Miss M. Davis, C. W. Street, Miss Wilkin son, J. Wilson, O. L. Hagood, J. Hub bard, Capt. Mason, C. Hess, Rev. Van Wahn, Mrs. Van Wahn, Mrs. Ben nett, H. Bennett, Rev. Gordon, Mrs. Gordon, Miss Gordon, Miss H. Gor don, C. Fourchy, Mrs. Fourchy, Miss Fourchy, Mrs. Llttlefleld, W. Little field, W. Russell, Mrs. Russell, Miss Russell, it. Russell, Jv Quick, S. Ar nold, Miss Walker, C. S. Mudge, Rev. McDonald, W. Sylvester, F, Powell, E. Galena, T. B, Walte, H. Richard son, C. Sendeblnch, M. Davles, II, A. Brown, S. Broker, R. Hilt, J, W. Har din, A. Jackson, H. Wells, W. Dickey, W. Dickey, Jr., Wilbur Dickoy, J. C. Richards, H. V. Martin, C. Long, Miss Powers, Miss L. Powers, Miss H. Powers, Fred Powers Chas. Powers, Mrs, Powers, A. H. Powers, George Taylor, E. Mackwell, L. Harshberger, W. L. McFarland, Mrs. McFarland, C. Hanen, L. Bunch, Mrs. Hunch, J. Brldgo, Mrs. Hunt, O. Motchmer, Jno. Mawer, Mrs. Downs, Miss Downs, Miss M. Downs, M. Glllston, Mrs. Lacy, A. L. Lacy, J. Stevonson, Mrs. Stevenson, Miss Stevonson, Rev. Black, E. G. Flanagan, E. Fogarty and flvo steerage. Putting in Gutters. North Bend Js grabbing Father Time by the forelock (or some other good hold) and is putting In good gutters on Virginia avenue to carry off tho surplus water which tho rainy season will bring. k I SAM FE WILL ENTER ORE Great Road Will Build Short Line Between Astoria and Portland. SECURE SITES FOR SHOPS Portland Will Re Terminus of Lino Up the Coast From Calif ornia. (Oregon Journal.) Having overcome two years' de termined opposition of tho Harrlman lines, the Portland Oregon Seacoast Railway company has completed all arrangements for construction of a railroad from Portland to Clatsop City, on the Clatsop county coast, north to Astoria and south to Eu reka, forming a connection there with the Sinta Fe and giving that great system a direct entrance into ,Portland. Twenty miles of right of way have been acquired for the Astoria line, for a summer resort, lands have been bought at Clatsop City for shops, and the Astoria chamber of commerce has undertaken to secure 13 miles more of right of way. Returns From Conference William Reid, secretary of tho company, who has just returned from a New York conference with representatives of the London and Los Angeles financial syndicates back to the enterprise, left today for Astoria to complete certain right of way arrangements. Eleven condem nation suits are now pending for rights of way in Cluisop county. A meeting of tho stockholders will be held In Portland Saturday, October 2G, at which the capital stock will be increased from $500, 000, the preliminary capitalization, to $1,1000,000, the working capital. The company has floated a bond issue of $35,000 per mile on the first 100 miles, and the stockholders will ratify this action. They will also confirm a construction contract for the same mileage mado with the Lewis & Clark Construction com pany, a corporation formed In Port land and Los Angeles and Incorpor ated In Oregon. This company will build the entire system In ten mile sections. Complete in Two Years. The company's right of way con tracts stipulate that construction shall be commenced within seven months and shall ke continuously carried on, and that the road shall be completed and in operation from Astoila to some point east of tho coast range summit within two years. It is Intended by tho com pany to build the line at a much faster rate. Tho final locations aro now being mado by surveys between Astoria, Clatsop county and Portland. The lino will follow the Lewis nnd Clark river from Astoria to a point about eight miles inland, where it vill join tho lino from Clatsop City, a station two miles west, near the seashore From the junction tho main lino to Portland will follow the easiest grade via Humbug creek, Clear creek and Gales creek to Os wego, where It will cross tho Wil lamette river over a bridge that Is being built by tho Southern Pacific company under a common user franchise secured by Mr. Rcld's offorts at the last session of the Oregon legislature. Tho terminal of tho Portland Or egon Seacoast road will bo in East Portland. It will grant equal traffic arrangements with both tho Hill and Harrlman lines. Shortest Route. Surveys show that tho lino from Portland to Clntsop City will bo 80 miles in length, 20 miles shorter than any other route now in opera tion or surveyed to tho saocoast. Completion of this lino will within tho next three years give Portland three Inlets for traffic from north wostom Oregon, a great roglon here tofore practically Inaccessible ex cepting by wagons or a circuitous route travorsed by boats from Tilla mook bay to tho Columbia river.' Tho Portland Oregon Sescoast railway will bo built by British cap ital. Tho lino from Portland to Astoria will bo built first and will cost approximately $3,500,000, Sev ON enty pound rails will be used iftid the construction nnd tunnel work will oe up to tho standard of tho best western roads. H. Hawgood, president of tho company and In personal charge of all arrangements, is a railroad build er of many jears experience. Ho was for some years in the engineer ing se Ice of the Southern Pacific, later chief engineer of the Hunting ton roads in Southern California, and more recently iwas chief en gineer of tho San Pedro, Los An geles & Salt Lake, the railroad Luilt by Senator W. A. Clark from Salt Lake to Sau Pedro. IMPORTANT THINGS UP FOR DISCUSSION Chamber of Commerce Meeting Will near Talk From Francis II. Clarke. At tho chamber of commerce meeting tonight Francis H. Clarke, attorney for the Joint Coos Bay Harbor Commltete, for Marshfleld and North Bend, will bo heard. Mr. Clarke will treat tho subject from an inltlatlvo and referendum standpoint for it Id understood he holds that It is within the power of the Coos Bay towns to create a har bor commission through their own Initiative without going to tho legis lature. The harbor commission ns It effects tho interests of tho Coos Bay harbor, Is the most Important ques tion before tho people of tho bay. The address tonight will bo from a legal standpoint, but interesting, nevertheless, and every citizen pres ent, will be glad that ho or sho at tended. Coos Bay Is making some wonderful strides forward these days, and nothing has yet bon touched upon of more Importance to the welfare of tho bay than some things that will bo brought out at tonight's meeting. An address will also be delivered tonight by W. H. P. McDonald. Mr. McDonald Is recently from Sacramento valley, and later from Albany, Oregon. He Is a forcible speaker and his impressions of the possibilities and opportunities for the landVlocked, rockle&s-bottomed harbor of many Inlets will bo en tertaining. In addition 'to tho oratorical treat In store for visitors at the chamber of commerce tonight, thero will also bo a treat of npples for every one In attendance will be given a prize gravensteln apple. To bo sure of first choice visitors should be In their seats by 7:30 o'clock. Tho additions to tho exhibit tho past two days includes, samples of popcorn, perfectly matured, grown by Cal Ray. Oregon grnpo and other ornamental shrubbery, from Evergreen Terrace, were contributed by Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Hllborn. Ex quisite boqucts of dahlias from the Inwns of Mrs. Lawler and Mrs. Flanagan decorate tho windows and samples of copper oro and basaltic rock wero left by unknown parties. Box Factory for Prosper. Tho business men of tho growing city of Prosper on tho lower Co qullle river aro organizing a corpo ration for tho purpose of putting up a box factory thero. Messrs. Shelley & Spencer donated tho slto for tho factory and Gcorgo Shelley has prom ised to find them a practical man on his next trip north to mnnago it for them. It Is a safe prediction Gcorgo will find them a man, for if there aro any words ho learned to spell and do- fino when ho went to school, they were hustlo and rustic Likes Coos Buy, Mr. A. II. Eddy, a San Joso, Cali fornia, architect, Is on the bay with tho intention of opening an offlco and making this his , permanent home. When seen by a Times rep resentative yesterday and asked his opinion of this country, ho said: "It Is tho greatest country in tho world when wo consider its unde veloped state. Thero Is opportunity hero for everybody; tho young man and tho old man nllko. A llttlo monoy and nverago shrewdness will mnko a man n fortune on Coos Bay within a few years." Will Build In ficiiKf(irkcii Addltl K. A. Honrlcka of tho cold stor age, will soon commonco a homo for his family in Songstnckon addition. Mn gill Jury Completed, Decatur, Oct. 10, Tho Maglll Jury was completed this afternoon. Tlip first testimony will bo heard toraorr row, '" IB RESPONSIBLE Harry Orchard Puts Brown Tragedy Up tq Miners' Federation. OPINION OF BOMB EXPERT C. !:. Elmer Gives Idaho Bids of Controversy With, Captain SwpJn. Boise, Idaho, Oct. 10. In tho opinion of Harry Orchard the West ern Federation of Miners is respoa Bible for tho death- of ex-Sheriff. Harvey Brown at Baker City. Ho Bays ho believes tho murder was committed to rovengo work done by Brown, In assisting the state to get evidence against those accused uf the assassination of ex-Governor Stunenberg. When first informed of tho Baker City tragedy Orchard predicted that very shortly the papers wouid bo printing interviews with those con nected with tho Federation, la which It would bo claimed that Brown was a friend of tho Federa tion. Charles E. Elmer, private secre tary to Governor Gooding, today re iterated his charges against Captain. Swain, who has charge of tho de tectives Investigating tho Brown. case. Mr. Elmer states that when, ho went to Baker City ho had no knowledgo that Captain Swain was working on the. case, and that he did not know it until ho had talked for three-quarters of an hour with tho authorities there. When ho mot feaptain Swain he was greeted cordially by tho Spokane detective, he says. Captain Swain told him ho had absolutely no clew, but that tho crime was a parallel caso with tho Steuncnberg murder. Elmer snld: "I asked Captain Swain what the dogs had done. He told me tho the tracks had bcon crossed by so many persons that tho dogs had been unable to work. I learned tho dogs had taken a trail and followed It toward tho homo of Mrs. Klnnlson and again In the sarao direction. I was told by the owner of tho dogs later that Swain had called them oft, that they had not been given an op portunity to show whether or uot they could pick up tho scent after dropping It near the depot." "When I learned that Captain Swain was In chargo of tho Investi gation," said Elmer, "I determined to leave Baker City for home and say nothing. I was intending to leave that night, but I hnd a long distance telephone talk with Gov ernor Gooding. Wo talked ho matter over and came to the con clusion that tho authorities of Ba ker City should bo put in posses sion of some facts regarding Ida ho's experiences with Captain Swain. It was a duty as we con sidered it. "I then went to the mayor, Dist rict attorney and sheriff and told thorn candidly what I knew. I told them I did not question Captain Swain's ability as a detective, but I had reasons to question his motives. I told them that it was Captain Swain's Ifault that Jack Simpklns got away; that Swain told us an absolute falsehood, which resulted in Simpklns escaping, and that wo had proofs that such wa3 true, I told them that as far as I was con cerned th0 information I had given them need never become public. "I left Baker City without breath ing a word of what I had told them to any ono, I gave no Infor mation to any newspaper nv n ll that was sent out by the no a paper men concerning that lntervle-v ' st havo conio from tho Baker officials, and probably through Captain Swain. Thoy must have po to Swain Immediately, and 1 re, building up a defonsc, e , e newspapor man around him and ?ave thorn tho intorvlows that havo boon published. Balloons Arrive for Races. St, Louis, Mo., Oct. 10. Tho bal loons St. Louis nnd Pommero ar rived tonight from Paris and lnua sols respectively to bo entered In the intornatlonnl balloon races that be gin. October 21 for tho Jauos Gordon Bonnctt cup. A