The morning Astorian., March 07, 1909, Image 1

i
PUBLISHES FULL ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT
COVERS THE MORNING FIELD ON THE LOWER COLUMBIA
86th YEAR. NO. 58.
ASTORIA, OREGON, SUNDAY,. MARCH 7, 1809
PRICE FIVE CCH
RENOS K
LUMBER fit
The Wettport Lumbar Company
Plant Burned at an Early
Hour Yesterday Morning
LOSS ESTIMATED AT $100,000
""""
Damage la Practically Covered by
Inauranct Management Declare
Property WIU be Instantly Rebuilt
and Improved to Greater Eiciency
. i
r. .u. i... m a .,( a
o'clock yesterday mining the fine;Thflev .were wPt from ,,,e bridge, by
..In a Mf Um Uattttwir I krt.he rVtm.
pany, at WeHport, In thla county
uflcred a fire lota aggregating $100,-
iVO,
Juit how the flame started can
onlv be conjecture!, as two watch-
u ,!,,. .j ,,..!...
on Friday night, one of them having jMr; Georgia M. Van Voorhics, a
punched the record clock at the hnurjWM',hy oc,f,y 0,,,n' a"d Arno,d
of 3, and both having made the usual & Patterson, rh has been her
half-hour round of the plant The
presumption, in default of all signs
lea ling to any other conclusion, is
that it was the result of incendiary
attempt, or from spontaneous com
bustion, the latter of course being en
tirely hypothetical, as it is remotely
foreign to alt conditions existant
Tkl fir., ,w. f fh. .!
brought to this city, by Mr. D. M.
Me Lane, a citisen of Westport, who
arrived here on the noon express.
Hi tale of the fire offers no solution
of the causes, but it does apportion .
great credit to the mill hands and .
the people up there for the celerity;
and efficacy with which they met and J
mattered the conflagration; and it
was to their efforts that the loss was!
mm AnUlA Ai It watt t
Z mh hrnrn wv between
the lumber on the run-way between
the mills and the river, some 3JX),000;
feet, were destroyed, either wholly, j
or in part. That the wind wai not i
blowing was the salvation of the rest j
of the big establishment i
Clatsop county had contracts with '
the Westport concern for about 232,-
000 feet of bridge and road lumber, lien for time used in going to and
and Judge Trenchard said yesterday, from his shop to the building on
that practically one-half of this which work is being done, and is
amount, in the neighborhood of 117,-.limited to the time in which he is
000 feet, had been delivered on ac- . actually at work in the building, is
count, I the rule which was established by
The achooner Lottie Bennett had 'Judge Morrow in the Circuit Court
finished loading at the mills on Fri- yesterday afternoon at the trial of the
day evening, and at 2 o'clock yester- j suit of J. F, Lynds & Co. against J.
day morning the steamer Ocklahama C. Westergard.
came along and picked her up for the Lynds & Co. is a firm of plumber,
tow to this port, she arriving down, They filled a mechanics' lien against
here about 7 o'clock, and going to , Westergard's house for $25 for
sea and San Pedro later, ; plumbing. When the case was tried
The Morning Astorian got in touch 'yesterday, Lynds, in testifying as to
with the situation aa soon as it could, the time he put in on Westergard's
get in telephonic communication with i building, said plumbers compute time
Manager J. Palmer, who reached the , on a job from the time of leaving the
cene of loss on the noon train, from shop until they return to the shop,
Portland. Mr. Palmer said the pow- j Judge Morrow excluded the evi
er house, machine shops and offices jdence except to show the number of
were saved almost intact; and the hours the plumber was actually en
careful scrutiny of the field indicated 'gaged at work in Westergard's house,
that the loss would not exceed the j The judge said that pay cannot be
sum of $100,000 and that this was recovered tinder a mechanics' lien for
practically covered by Insurance.
The manager also gave out the as
surance that the company would re
build the plant without any unneces
sary delay, and at the same time, in-
troduce certain improvements long ;
contemplated; all of which has a would apply equally to carpenters,
cheerful and plucky sound that will painters, electricians, and all kinds of
add emphasis and sincerity to the mechanics.
SEEK TO AMEND '.
THE CONSTITUTION
The Last Day of April is Named by Senate Reso
lution Introduced as Inaugural Day """"'
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
The last day of April is suggested
as the proper date to inaugurate the
President, in the resolution introduc
ed today by Senator Depew. The
resolution provides that the 62nd
congress and the term of the Presi
dent and Vice-President shall con
tinue until the last Wednesday in
.April, 1913, at noon. The resolution
volumnc of regret and good will felt
In tliU ciiy fur the proprietor who
have suffered Una grMt lout and
hindrance. The company wan doing
fine htminciii, with plenty of orders
on file, and every prospect o( holding
their own in the milling field to the
very limit. The present plant wai
running on a baiii of a daily output
of 125,000 feet of lumber; and thii
will be notably increased In the new
plana of the coneern.
The officers of the Weitport Lum
ber Company are: John W. Talmer,
president; S. D. Stewart, vice-president;
S. F. Owena, secretary; and the
general officert are at 711-12-13 Cor
bett afreet, Portland.
BURTON ELECTED CHAIRMAN
j WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
'The National Waterwayi Commis-
Jaion held lta first meeting today.
'Senator Burton waa elected chairman
and Senator Gallinger, vice-chairman.
j
i FOUR ARE DROWNED,
j
j PARKER, S. D., March 6.-Mra.
: Herman Feikens and three little chil
dren were drowned in trying to drive
croa the Vermillion river laat night
MARRIES HER CHAUFFEUR.
SACRAMENTO, March 6. -A
marriage license nas oeen issuea io
j",u,!",r, ' , T' ," .
Voorhics age in the license is given
as 56 years, while Patterson is cred
ited with 30 years. The late husband
of Mrs. Van Voorhles was one of the
pioneer bnsiness men of Sacramento,
and at the time of his death he left
an estate valued at $500,000. It is
said that the wedding is taking place
h hme of the bride today.
JUDGE MAKES IHPOR-
- TUT RULING
"EN CANNOT BE PUT ON
rtD -.,,, nnrun
wM"""n "'mo
ANU DOMINO,
PORTLAND, March 6. That a
plumber cannot claim a mechanics'
time used going from shop to build
ing, waiting for street cars, or re
turning from the building to the
shop, by analogy to the rule in this
state that only material actually used
in a structure is lienablc. The rule
was referred to the committee on
privileges and elections.
The resolution is a proposition to
amend the constitution. The Senate
was ii) session eight minutes after
which the doors were closed for exe
cutive business until 2:17 o'clock
when it adjourned sine die. The
special session of congress begins
March 15.
POUD AFTER
I
Will Make the Initiative to Re
move Seat of Government
From Salem
PETITIONS TO BE CIRCULATED
Movement Waa Started in the Re
cent Legislature and ailed to Paaa
It the Old Story, "The Portland
'Hog Wanta It AIL"
PORTLAND, Ore., March 6.
Petitions have been printed and
will be circulated to invoke the in
itiative to remove the state capital
from Salem to Portland. These pen
tiona are in charge of the East Side
clubs, co-operating with State Sena'
tor Dan Kellaher. The petitions will
be sent to all sections of the State.
If the people vote to move the seat
of government, the legislative scs
sion of 1911 wilt do the rest.
That the movement has started in
Portland to move the capital has
caused nervousness in Salem. Col
onel Hofer is warning the citizens of
Marion county to be on the lookout
and head it off if possible. Salem had
a scare in the recent session when
resolution was introduced to move
the capital.. This was finally laid on
the table after some 20 of the 30
Senators had expressed themselves
on the subject.
Following the introduction of the
resolution, the Salem Board of Trade
gave a banquet to members of the
Legislature to smooth over the
ruffled feelings and later, when the
resolution came up for discussion,
Senator Tom Kay, of Salem, apolo
gized to any member he may have
offended during the session.
It is generally believed that if the
question is put to a vote of the peo
ple, the seat of government will be
transferred from Salem to Portland.
The East Side business men realize
this sentiment and they are anxious
to take advantage of it. Also, the
men back of the movement want the
capital building located on the East
Side where there is plenty of room.
To bring the capital to Portland,
the East Siders would have the as
sistance of Eastern and Southern
Oregon. These two sections are
dissatisfied over the way the normal
schools were wiped off the map and
they feel a resentment against the
Marion county delegation. Senator
Smith, of Marion, started the trouble
when he introduced a bill providing
for the location of one normal near
Portland and abolishing the three
schools now in existence. This bill
naturally aroused the anger of all the
Senators and Representatives who
are interested in normals in their
respective districts and to retaliate
on Smith, they would readily vote to
transfer the capital from Salem.
Threats to move the capital from
Salem to Portland are not so much
a joke as they have been In the past,
and at the election in November,
1910, the voters of the state will have
an opportunity to express them
selves.
MAY ISSUE STATEMENT.
NEW YORK, March 6. It is
probable that Judge E. .H. Gary,
chairman, of the United States Steel
Corporation, will issue a statement
defending the purchase of the Ten
nessee Coal & Iron Company by the
corporation, a subject which was re
cently before Congress with a view
to determining the legality of the
transaction. If Judge Gary issues
such a statement it will not be ready
for publication until next week, ac
cording to, a statement by one of the
corporation officials today.
.. ARMY FULL STRENGTH.
LOS ANGELES, March 6.-For
the first time in many years, Uncle
Sam is not seeking men for his
standing army. It is recruited up to
its full complement of 77,753 men.
"We are not accepting any new re
cruits, only re-enlistments," said
Captain W. S. Graves, Twentieth
United States Infantry, in charge of
the local recruiting office.
OFFERED THE PRESIDENCY.
NEW YORK, March 6-An officer
of the Consolidated Gas Company
said tonight that a definite offer of
the presidency of that company was
made to George B. Cortelyeu, the re
tiring secretary of the treasury. He
added that although no reply was re
ceived from Cortclyou it wai believed
he would accept.
RECEIVES LOVING CUP.
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
Former Senator Foraker was pre
sented today with a massive silver
loving cup, the gift of the negro resi
dents in Washington. " The presenta
tion was made at the Metropolitan
African Methodist Church followed
by a reception. The cup was nearly
two feet high and weighs 100 ounces.
REDUCE WAGES.
YOUNGSTOWN, Pa., March 6.-
Wage reductions are predicted among
the iron and steel workers within a.
week. It i announced here today
that both the so-called trust and in
dependent plants will ' be forced to
cut wages .10 per cent following the
wage reduction announced by the
Lackawanna Steel Company,
3 SEPA
RATE ENVESTieATlONS
MAYOR WANTS TO FIND THE
GRAFT IN STREET RAIL
WAY SYSTEMS. '
CHICAGO, March 'Ui-The T Rec
ord-Herald tomorrow will say:
Three separate investigations to
find the big graft 'in the expenditure
of $25,000,000 for rehabilitation of
Chicago's car lines has been under
taken. The first waa conducted by
J. Pierpont Morgan but has disclos
ed no irregularities in the affairs of
the Chicago City Railway Company
of which he is a targe stockholder.
The second inquiry was begun by the
board of supervising engineers. Now
Mayor Busse has started the third in
vestigation on the theory that rebates
had been given in the purchase of the
cars and other material which have
not been credited so that the city
gets its per cent of the benefit as re
quired by law.
CONGRESS CALLED l!i
SPECIAL SESSI
DOES NOT STATE FOR WHAT
PURPOSE THE SESSION
IS CALLED.
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
President Taft issued a call today
for a special session of the 61st Con
gress, to convene March 15. The
call does not mention the object for
which the special session is called.
The following is the text of the call:
"By the President of the United
States of America:
A PROCLAMATION:
"Whereas, Public interests, require
that the Congress of the United
States should be convened in extra
session at 12 o'clock noon, on the
15th day of March, 1909, to receive
such communication as may be made
by the Executive.
"Now, therefore, I, William H.
Taft, President of the United States
of America, do hereby proclaim and
declare that an extraordinary occas
ion requires the Congress of the
United States to convene in extra
session at the Capitol in the City of
Washington on the 15th day of
March, 1909, at 12 o'clock noon, at
which all persons who shall at that
time 'be entitled to act as members
thereof, are hereby required to take
notice. '
"Given under' my hand and the
seal of the United States of Ameri
ca, the 6th day of March, in the year
of our Lord, one thousand nine hun
dred and nine, and of the independ
ence of the United States, the one
hundred and thirty-third.
"By the President:
"WILLIAM H. TAFT.
"P. C KNOX, Secretary of State.'
HE STAYS
BY HUG
Still Backing Him for Portland
Post Office With Little
Chance
NO APPOINTMENT BEFORE 1 5th
Claimed That Bourne Will Not Con
trol Any of the Federal Patronage
of the Stats of Oregon For the
I Next Two Year.
WASHINGTON, D. C, March f
j Bourne said today he proposes
.standing by John C Young, bis can
jdidate for the Portland postmaster
j ship. Probably no appointment will
be made before March 15, although
'the decision of the department and
! of the President will likely be reach
ied sooner than that
) Although Senator Bourne anr
jnounces that he will continue to
! stand by Young, and that there will
jbe no recess appointment of a new
j postmaster for Portland, those who
! consider they know the game assert
' that Young cannot be appointed, un
' less he waits a couple of years.
1 While Bourne has the right to name
the postmaster for Portland, there
is a combination in the Senate, the
Aldrich-Hale crowd who are uniting
with Postmaster-General Hitchcock
in playing politics. This combina
tion is taking a keen delight in pre-
, venting Bourne from naming his
; postmaster. This attitude of the
combine is not because John W.
Minto, present incumbent, is desired,
but because Bourne wants someone,
j It is even asserted that should Bourne
withdraw the name of Young and
j submit that of another, or several
: others in succession, they would
1 meet a Jike fate. .The combine wants
'to show Bourne that he cannot get
any pie, not even that which by Sena-
. tonal courtesy he is entitled to cut.
I The same men who are opposing
I Bourne are working to have C W.
1 Fulton appointed Federal Judge in
Oregon. In Portland, Fulton's fol
lowers predict that he will be ap
pointed by Taft after March 15.
WANTS ARTESIAN WELLS.
Harney County Asks Act From Uncle
Sa to Dig Wells.
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
The Secretary of the Interior has
received from the Burns Commercial
Club of Oregon a request that the
Reclamation Service immediately
take steps to demonstrate the exist
ence of an artesian flow in Harney
county by sinking wells at central
points so individual homemakers may
have a reasonably sure knowledge of
the depth necessary to go for such
water and of the amount to be found
when reached. It is stated that an
artesian supply is the only possible
source of water for reclamation pur
poses, upon which settlers in Harney
county can base hope of permanent
success.
In reply to the petition of the
Burns Commercial Club, former Sec
retary Garfield recalls that fact that
on March 3, 1903, it was decided that
the reclamation fund could not be
used for the purpose of drilling ar
tesian wells for exploration. Such
wells may be paid for from reclama
tion funds only in cases where there
is sufficient knowledge in advance to
make it probable that water will be
obtained therefrom in such quantities
as could be used for irrigation of
lands, with the probability that the
cost of work will be returned to the
reclamation funds.
CASTRO CANNOT RETURN.
PARIS, March. 6 Senor Jose Paul,
Venezuelan envoy to Europe, has left
here for Berlin. He is authority for
the statement that President Gomez
has forbidden Castro, and his wife to
enter Vcnuela.
JURY DISAGREES.
GREAT FALLS, Mont., March 6.
After deliberating for 48 hours the
jury in the case of George Creswell,
charged with complicity in the hold
up of the Great Northern Passenger
train last May, were discharged. The
jury stood 11 for acquittal and one
for conviction.
CROWDS GOING HOME.
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
Every outgoing train today carried
inaugural visitors on their way home.
The Union Station was filled with
crowds and visiting organizations
which had marched down to the sta
tion. Chairman Weller estimated the
number of inaugural visitors at 200,-000.
DIES ON WAY HOME.
LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 6.-On
a special train carrying Kentucky
Republicans who attended the inau
guration, J. W. Calvert today died of
pneumonia, which developed as a re
sult of the marching in the storm on
inauguration day. He was 81 years
old. '
SHOT IN THE EYE.
PENDLETON. Or.. March 6.-
Playing Indian has proven disastrous
to a second Pendleton boy within
the past few months. The latest vic
tim is Carl Matthews, aged 7 years,
and there are grave doubts concern
ing tne ability of physicians to save
the sight of the eye.
Carl was takinsr the cart of the
"coyote," and as he ran by the "In
dian," in the oerson of another hot-
about the same age, let the arrow fly
trom the bow, striking the Matthew
boy squarely in the eye.
Another boy lost the sight of an
eye in almost the same manner last
Fall, and a few months orior to that
a little girl was shot in the eye with
an arrow, losing the sight.
sun ii ub
IS HI
CHINA'S RIGHTS TO MANCHU
RIA MUST BE PRESERVED
ACCORDING TO TREATY
WASHINGTON. D. C, March 6-
The diplomatic view of the situa
tion of Harbin where the railroad
companies will try to control the
local affairs were more hopeful
among representative powers having
interests in the Far East and which
are determined that the terms of the
Portsmouth treaty shall be com
plied with and China's right to Man
churia preserved. This feeling is
based on the fact that Russia is ad
vocating the modification of the rail
road policy and its adoption of the
foreign office plan for the govern
ment of all towns in the railroad
zone. The situation is complicated by
reason of the fact that if the railroads
are eliminated from participation in
the local affairs at Manchuria they
would lose much of their prestiage.
LOOSES EYE.
Negro Strikes Doctor on Eyeglasses,
Driving Glass in Eye,
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 6.
As the result of a dispute with a
negro waiter, Dr. Lonnie Robson, of
Charleston, S. C, who came here
with the German fusilier company of
the National Guard of South Caro
lina to attend the inauguration, will
go home minus one eye and with the
sight of the other seriously impaired.
The trouble occurred last Thursday
night in a fashionable restaurant
here, the negro striking Dr. Robson's
eyeglasses and driving a portion of
the lens into his left eye. Dr. Rob-
son was removed to a hospital and
yesterday the injured eyeball was
removed. The right eye also is in a
serious condition. The negro escaped
and has not been arrested.
HAVANA TURNS
CRIMINALS LOOSE
Police in a Very Badly Disorganized Shape as Re
sult of Discharge and
HAVANA, March 6. The general
amnesty bill was signed by President
Gomez today. It will take effect im
mediately and provides for the re
lease from prison of those persons
who have been convicted of other
than crimes of grave atrocity. This
will result in freeing many profes
Giiffl lira
MERGER
Reported Will be an Interchanji
of Traffic Between U. P. and
. Wabash
EXCLUSION ALL OTHER LINES
Said to in a Measure Erplain Why
Harriman Sent George Gould Mil
lion Last Summer to Keep Soma
of His Goods From Bankruptcy.
CHICAGO, March 6.-The Record-Herald
tomorrow will say:
Negotiations are in progress which
rwill, it is thought, eventually land
j for the Union Pacific line west of
Kansas City the greatest traffic coup
in its history. It is understood that
j beginning early in May there will
be an interchange in the traffic agree
ment between the Wabash and Union
Pacific lines at Kansas City which
will be of immense value to each
system. The details of the tentative
agreement have not yet received the
sanction of ' Harriman or of George
J. Gould, but it is known that it is
proposed to interchange traffic well
nigh to exclusion of all other connec
tions. The pending agreement may,
in a measure, explain why .Harriman
was so ready to throw $2,000,000 into
the syndicate which lent Gould $3,
000,000 to save some of his road
from bankruptcy.
NEAL NOT GUILTY.
BOISE, Idaho, March f The jury
in the case of Horace E. Neal, form
er cashier of the defunction Capital
State Bank, charged with large for
geries, found Neal not guilty. The
verdict was returned at 1:30 o'clock
this morning, after seven hours of
consideration. Neal was under the
influence of morphine at the time he
committed the acts specified in the
indictment.
ri cgiiiqi
KANSAS PK!
PRISONERS STRETCHED AND
TORTURED AND STRANGLED
WITH WATER.
GUTHRIE, Okla., March 6.-The
committee appointed by Governor
Haskell to investigate the charges of
cruelty to prisoners in the Kansas
penitentiary at Lansing made their
report today and sustained in sub
stance the charges originally brought
by Miss Kate Barnard, State Com
missioner of Charities and Correc
tions for Oklohama. The committee
declares that the prisoners were
"Stretched and tortured and strangled
with water." But says the prison
suffers more from bad methods than
from bad men. Lack of discipline
and presence of political manpula
tions are everywhere apparent, it is
alleged, and the warden is accused
of not having the courage to stand up
for what he knew was right.
Trouble is Looked for
sional criminals which causes uneasi
ness in Havana. The police force of
this city has become largely disor
ganized by reason of the discharga
on Thursday of three captains and
four more captains today, as well as
many experienced detectives, to make
places, it is said for a number of
political workers.