t'
TARIFF FOR REVENUE, INCIDENTAL PROTECTION AND SOUND MONEY.
VOL. I.
CORVAIiLIS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1897.
NO. 27.
'
UN
ON
NEWS OF THE WEEK
From
all Parts of the New
and Old World.
BRIEF AND INTERESTING ITEMS
Comprehensive Review of the Import
ant Happenings of the Cur
. rent Week.
No appointments will be made by
the president during the recess of con
gress except in case of emergency. De
spite the announcement of this fact,
the number of visitors at the White
House are unusually large.
- The long-continued cold and heavy
snow of the past month are beginning
to have a serious effect upon sheep in
Wyoming, and it is feared that, unless
there is a break in the weather soon,
the losses will be heavy. Sheepmen
report that a number have already
perished.
The controller of the currency has
received information of fne failure of
the First National bank, of Pembina,
N. D. . The bank has a capital of $50,-
000, and, according to its last state
. ment, had deposits aggregating $95,
-. 000. Bank Examiner Anheiser hr.a
. been placed in charge.
. I . Mr. Coffin, the acting controller of
i m f , the currency has called attention to the
" .. . fact that the retirement of national bank
' ; -v notes during the first 20 days of Decern -."
ber reached the sum of $3,000,000.
This is said to be the first time during
the last 10 years that the voluntary re
tirement has reaohed this amount in
any one month.
After a week of conference in Bos
ton, Justices Putnam and King, the
commissioners for the United States
and Canada, respectively, in the arbi
tration of the Behring sea claims, have
completed their work for the present,
and it is understood ' will soon begin
the preparation of their reports to their
respective governments.
The first meeting of the National
Building Trades Council was. held at
Sf. Louis, and was marked by a scath
ing denunciation of the American Fed
eration of Labor for having passed a
resolution at Nashville opposing the
formation of the national council. The
Federation of Labor opposed the new
organization as tending to create a fur
ther division in the ranks of labor.
Fireman Martin J. Oakley was killed
at a fire in. a five story tenement on
East Foity-fourth street, New York
city. Oakley was suffocated by smoke
and escaping gas. Assistant Fireman
Thomas Head, James Davis and Peter
Connelly, of the same company, were
rendered . unconscious by inhaling
smoke and gas, and were with diffi
culty revived. They are in hospitals,
and their condition is serious.
While skating on the ice near Gard
ner, Miss., three young people sudden
ly broke through, and before assistance
could reach them were drowned.
At Tonawanda, N. Y., while a party
were skating, the ice gave way and
precipitated- four young people into the
water. Three of them were drowned.
China approves of the Russian fleet
wintering at Port Arthur, being per
suaded that this action is taken in the
interest of China, and necessitated by
the German occupation of .Kiao Chou.
A rate war is on between the various
river transportation lines running to
The Dalles. A reduction of fare from
The Dalles to Portland is the result.
This cut in rates has been looked for
by the public since the opposition line
was put on, some two-months ago.
F. M. Gideon, the clerk of the gen
eral land office, ' who was ' referred to
by Thomas Reddington in the testi
mony before tSe senate Pacific railroad
committee, Saturday, as having
changed the land-office records so as to
throw 6,000,000 acres of government
land to the Southern Pacific, has made
a clear 'denial of the charge.
Adispalch from Christiania, Nor
way, to the London Chronicle, says the
political situation, since the failure of
the united committee on foreign affairs,
lias become critical, and it is feared
that Sweden will seek an occasion for
armed' intervention in Norway. The
dispatch adds that the Swedish press
hopes for assistance from Emperor
William. '
The committee appointed at the
house civil service conference 10 days
ago to draft modifications of the civil
service law have met and gone over
the various bills pending before the
house. The committee expects to have
a measure framed by the time congress
reconvenes. Its members are opposed
to the present law as including too
many offices within its scope.
A freight train of 21 loaded cars,
traveling down ' the mountain to Al
toona, Pa., became unmanageable in
consequence of the slippery condition
of the tracks, making the 12 miles
from Galltiz into Altoona iu as many
minutes and crashing into a freight
train directly in front of the passenger
station. About 50 cars were com
pletely broken up, and the Holidays
burg passenger train, which was stand
ing on the track near the passenger
shed, was thrdwn over on its side.
Three of the train crew were fatally in
jured. Secretary Alger has cabled to Wil
liam Akellman, chief government rein
deer herder, who is now in Norway, to
inform the war department immediate
ly how soon 600 reindeer can be shipped
to this country. These are wanted for
use as draft animals in getting supplies
to the miners in the Klondike region.
They must be transferred at New York
to railroads, and in that manner car
ried across the continent, and again by
eea from the Pacific coast up to Dyea,
or some other point that may be select
ed as a base of operations.
TO ACQUIRE MORE TERRITORY
Senator Lodge Wants Us to Bay St
Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.
Chicago, Dec. 28 A special to the
Times-Herald from Washington says
Senator Lodge is preparing a bill fa
voring the purchase of the three island
of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John,
owned by Denmark, in the West In
dies. The senate passed a resolutu n a
year ago asking the state department to
ascertain whether the islands were still
for sale, at what price they were held
and whether any other country was
after them. Denmark has replied that
she is still willing to sell, and that two
Euiopean governments are now nego-
tiating for their purchase. These are
supposed to be Great Britain and Get'
many. The United States has been
discussing the purchase for nearly 30
years. In 1868, negotiations went so
far that a treaty was negotiated for the
purchase, by which this country was to
pay $8,000,000 for the islands, but it
failed of ratification. It has been de
termined by Denmark to either sell
these islands or give them away. St.
Thomas has a harbor large enough to
accommodate the navies of the entire
world, and, in view of the advantages
to be gained, Senator Lodge is sanguine
of securing an appropriation that will
enable the islands to be transferred to
the jurisdiction of- the Stars and
Stripes. The three islands have a total
of 100 square miles of territory and a
population of 40,000.
INDIANS FIRED FIRST.
Special Agent Reynolds' Report on the
RouttCounty Conflict.'
Denver, Dec. 28. The report oi
Special Agent E. B. Reynolds, on the
recent conflict between Iniians and
game wardens in. Routt county, is
complete vindication of Warden Wilcox
and his men. Mr. Reynolds, after tak
ing the testimony of six Indians and
the 12 wardens who were in the un
fortunate affair, said:
"I am fully convinced, after having
examined the case fully, and after taK
ing the testimony of both parties, after
meeting the men face to face and read
ing their characters and noting their
demeanor, that the Indians fired the
first shot."
' He further states that no blame
whatever can by any possibility be at
tached to the wardens. He finds that,
after the first shot, the shooting became
general, and when the smoke cleared
away.it was found that several Indians
had been killed. The wardens de
clared there were six Indians shot,
while the Indians say there were but
three killed. Mr. Reynolds agrees with
the Indians on this point.
ANOTHER SOCIETY SUICIDE.
That of Miss Annie Virginia Wells, a
Friend of Miss Herbert.
Washington, Deo. 28. The death oi
Miss Leila Herbert, daughter of the ex
secretary of the navy, is given as the
reason of the suicide which occurred to
day of Miss Annie Virginia Wells, an
accomplished young ssociety woman,
and daughter of Lewis S. Wells, a well
known attorney. The young woman
shot herself through the heart with hei
brother's revolver at the residence oi
her father, 1311 N street. Miss Welle
had met Miss Herbert a number of
times, and was very much attached to
her. She herself had been confined to
the house for four months by illness,
and .this, combined with the shock
caused by the death of her friend,
brought on melancholia, which resulted
in suicide. The deed was apparently
unpremeditated, and, coming imme
diately after the Christmas festivities
in the house, completely prostrated her
aged mother. Miss Wells was 33 vears
of age, and very beautiful.
HE INTENDED TO KILL.
But His Victim Died of Heart Failurs
Caused by Excitement.
San Francisco, Dec. 28. A Japanese
known as Je Tagoni fired fonr shots at
Mary Costello,. a Spanish woman, in
the lodging-house at 91 Sacramentc
street, this morning. None of the
bullets struck the woman, but she drop
ped dead. The body bears no sign of a
wound, and the physicians say death
was caused by heart failure, induced by
extreme excitement.
About a year ago, Tagoni opened an
employment agency, and engaged Miss
Costello as an assistant. By promising
marriage he induced her to live with
him. Recently she left the place where
ibej had resided. After making many
threats to kill her on sight, the Japan
ese met her today and accomplished his
murderous design, though in an unex
pected and sensational manner.
Digging's Near Dyea.
Dyea, Alaska, Dec. 28. Consider
able excitement prevails here at present
over the reported gold finds on one oi
the tributaries of the Dyea river, only
a mile above the town. Prospectors
have been flocking in, and have staked
the creek off for a distance of 10 miles.
The creek has been named Boom creek,
and from 200 to 300 men are now on
the ground and at work.
The surface indications are excellent,
running in places 25 cents to the pan,
and increasing as the shafts go down.
Many companies are forming, both to
work claims and purchase properties.
All the diggings are on American soil,
and many more claims will be staked
off within the next few days.
Mazzaltini's Last Bullfight.
City of Mexico, Dec. 28. The last
of the series of bullfights by Mazzaltini
was given this afternoon, and was at
tended by 7,000 people. Tomas Maz
zaltini narrowly escaped with his life,
being tossed by an infuriated bull, and
gored in the hand. Ten horses were
killed, and six bulls, the usual num
ber. The fight was not up to the usual
standard.
Seven lions are among the pets
Of the sultan of Morocco.
FOOD RUNNING SHOR
Dawson City and Fort Yukon
on Reduced Rations.
SAYS JOHN LINDSAY OF OLYMPIA
STukon Piled High With Ice, Making
. Teaming by the River Route
an Imposibility.
Port Townsend, Dec 28. John
Lindsay, of Olympia, Wash., who has
just arrived here from Dawson, says
that there will surely be starvation
there this winter.
He examined into the food situation
in a thorough manner, he says, and
after satisfying himself that there
would be starvation, he sold his outfit
and, in company with Frank Ballaine
of Olympia; Tom Stoney, of Victoria
and Bob Glynn, of Seattle, started out
on foot, each man drawing a sled carry
ing about 140 pounds of provisions.
Lindsay says the Dawson people de
clare that there is no great amount of
food at Fort Yukon, as has been al
leged. The river rose sufficiently and
remained open long enough to enable
food supplies to have been . brought
from Fort Yukon, had there been any
there, so the majority of the people at
Dawson refused to go down to the
camp, preferring to remain in Dawson
Not more than 800 or 400 people took
advantage of the transportation com
pany s offer to take the people to Fort
Yukon free of charge. .
When the miners at Dawson found
that no more provisions would reach
the town by the river route, they an
nounced that a meeting would be held
to take steps for an apportioning of the
provisions 'in the town. Those that
had plenty, they said, must share' with
those who had not.
Captain Constantino, of the North
west mounted .police, interfered, and
told the miners that no such thing
would be permitted. The meeting was
not held.
Lindsay says the output of the mines
will be greatly curtailed this winter
because of the scarcity of food and
light. Coal oil sold for $45 a gallon,
and candles as high as $150 per box of
100. Even if men are able to work
their claims, they cannot get light to
do so. '
These statements are borne out by
all returning Klondikers, quite a num
ber of whom have reached here in the
past week. Few of them, however,
take as gloomy a view of the situation
as does Lindsay.
Dr. B. L. Bradley, of Roseburg,
Or., says that food is scarce, but he
does not think that there will be actual
starvation. Neither do W. B. King,
of Merced, Cal.; P. J. Holland, of
Butte, Mont; Thomas Stoney, of Vic
toria, or Robert Glynn, of Seattle, all
of whom arrived tins week from Daw
son. Most of them left there Novem
ber 2.
As an eivdence of the scarcity of food
in Dawson, Lindsay relates 'the case of
Dr. Van Sants, formerly of Spokane.
Van Sants is an elderly man, and be'
ing without provisions or money, he
offered a gold watch for a sack oi
flour. He could not get it, and he re
marked to Lindsay:
God only knows how I am to keep
body and soul together. "
Lindsay says 200 or more miners are
prospecting at the mouth of Stewart
river, but as yet, it is not known what
success they have achieved.
Henderson creek, five miles below
Stewart river, and 40 miles from Daw
son, is a promising stream that is being
developed this winter. The weather
about the Stewart and Big Salmon
rivers has been bitterly cold, 70 degrees
below" zero being recorded at Major
Walsh's camp, 12 miles below the Big
Salmon, on November 17.
The Yukon river between Dawson and
Fort Pelly, froze completely over No
vember 18. The river is piled full of
ice in great ridges, as high as an ordi
nary house, and a roadway will have
to be cut through it before the dog or
horse teams can operate upon it. The
outlook, therefore, for taking supplies
down to Dawson in the immediate fu
ture is not good.
Inspector of Mines McGregor left
here a week ago with a number of dog
teams and horses to make the attempt
tf reach Dawson with about 20 tons of
provisions, but nothing has since been
heard of him.
Peary's Next Trip.
New York, Dec 28. A dispatch to
the World from Washington says:
Lieutenant R. E. Peary, the Arctic ex
plorer, who returned from England on
the St. Paul, immediately upon his ar
rival in New York, took the train for
Washington. Lieutenant Peary tonight
was enthnsisatic over his reception in
England, and the gift to him by Alfred
C. Harmsworth. the wealthy English
man, of the Windward, a fine ship,
which the explorer will use in his trip
to the Arctic next year. Mr. Harms
worth also furnished funds for the ex
pedition. Lieutenant Peary said the
Windward will be sent to New York
early in the spring, and he will start
north the latter part of July. Lieuten
ant Peary started for New York tonight
to finish work on his narrative which
is in the publisher's hands.
Heavy Fog in England.
London, Dec. 28. Heavy fogs pre
vailed in the district of London and
over the British channel, the Mersey,
the Clyde and the Tyne. There have
been numerous shipping accidents, and
much inconvenience has been caused
to traffic by delays and stoppages. It
is feared that several lives have been
lost.
Muskets were first
the French army.
used in 1414 by
ADRIFT IN A GALE.
Rough Experience of the Steamer Kal'
er Wilhelm J)er Grosse.
New York, De. 27. The giantess of
ocean liners, the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Grosse, of the North German Lloyd
line, arrived from Bremen a day late,
She brought over 461 cabin , and 393
steerage passengers. The passengers
told of a terrible experience. From
Cherbourg she met gale after gale.
On the third day out ' from Cher
bourg, while a heavy sea was running
and nearly. all of the passengers were
seasick in the berths, the ship's ma
chinery was suddenly stopped. Some,
of the officers thought the mahcinery
had broken, others that the engines had
gone to pieces, and still others that the
rudder was disabled. After the ponder
ous vessel was hove to she began to
drift. For eight hours she was adrift
till she was 50 miles out of her course.
when she started again.
The facts in the rase are that on the
evening of the 19th the head of the
main boiler was wabbling. Invest iga
tion showed that one of the steel bands
had broken off. To prevent the boi Ie
from vibrating and a possible explo
sion, it was necessary to draw the fire
stop the ship and allow the parts to
cool. Captain Englehart laughed when
the idea of danger in connection with
the break was mentioned.
THE METHOD WAS FIENDISH
Jacob Weinan Strangled With Cloth
Rammed Down His Throat.
St. Louis, Deo. 27. A post mortem
was held yesterday on the remains of
Jacob Weinan, who was found dead in
his kitchen Friday evening, having
been murdered. At the time a towel
was found tightly twisted about ins
throat, but the post mortem revealed a
peculiarly fiendish method the mur
derers had . resorted to. Far down in
the man's throat, tightly imbedded in
the bronchial tubes, was a wad of thick
cloth, which had been wrapped with
horsehair. Fingers could not have
reached that far, and a stick was prob
ably used to ram the wading down
In 1893 a soldier at Jefferson barracks
was murdered in a similar manner, and
the similarity of the murder of Friday
with the latter has caused excitement
in police circles.
TO CONTROL COAL MARKET.
Plans of a Great Combine Forming in
the East.
New York. Dec. 27. It has de
veloped that a big coal-selling combina
tion of the anthracite railroads where
by the production is to be doled out by
the supreme head, is only a part of a
vast project for control of the entire
coal industry in the East. J. Pierpont
Morgan's plan involves the-creation of
a similar central selling agency to
cover each of the great bituminous coal
districts of Pennsvlvaniaj Ohio, West
Virginia, Indiana and Illinois and. i
uniform working arrangement i be
tween them that shall put a stop to rate
cutting and demoralization of trade.
The companies are to agree upon the
proportion each is to mine and haul,
and the buying company is to call upon
them accordingly as fast as it needs
coal for the market. "
TRAIN WRECKERS AT LARGE
Futile Attempt Made to Ditch a Burl
. ington Passenger.
Thayer, la., Dec 27. An attempt
was made between nere anu jnurray
last night to throw from the track the
Burlington train No. 2. Whether the
attempt was made for the purpose of
robbery or for maliciousness is not
known at present". About 9:30 o'clock
as the. train was approaching the foot
of Murray hill, ' the engine left the
track. Fortunately no particular dam
age was done to it or to the train, nor
was anyone on board injured. . On ex
aminations it was found the track had
been tampered with, and footprints of
men were seen on the hill leading away
from the roadbed. - Spikes had been
pulled out of the ties for three rail
lengths, the work being done with a
wrench and pinchbar, which had been
stolen from the oarhouse at Thayer;
Would Abolish Coroner's Office.
New York, Dec. 27. The December
grand jury handed to Judge Hurd, in
the county court today, a recommenda
tion that the office of coroner be abol
ished, because that office is of no prac
tical effect in ferreting out crimes; the
methods are open to the most severe
censure; the manner of conducting the
business is inefficient, and the power
of the coroner is delegated to subordi
nates, whose chief functions seem to be
to collect fees incidental to their office
for their chief.
Good News for Hawaii.
Honolulu, Deo. 27. The Mariposa
arrived from San Francisco yesterday,
bringing news of the opening of con
gress, regarding me annexation
treaty, the Hawaiian government re
ceived advices from Washington on the
day the steamer sailed, which state
that the opposition is not as strong as
indicated in the press dispatches.
Wages in the South Go Up.
Birmingham, Ala., Deo. 27. The
Ceronna Coal Compary and the Vir
ginia & Alabama Coal Company, em
ploying about 1,200 coal miner.;, in
Walker county, today announced that
January 1, they will advance wages
from 60 to 70 cents per ton.
San Francisco, Dec. 27. Charles W.
Richards, a mechanical expert of
Cleveland, O., arrived today from Ja
pan, where he has been superintending
the construction of a wire-nail plant,
costing 250,000, at Tokio. The ca
pacity of the works is 500 kegs of nails
and 1,000 wooden kegs daily. As
skilled labor in Japan is paid but 35
cents a day, against $100 in this
country, the output of the factory will
cause a corresponding reduction in the
demand for the American product
THE SEALING AWARD
Findings of the Commission
Reach State Department.
TOTAL NEARLY HALF A MILLION
Damages for Prospective Catch Were
Mot Allowed Congress Will
Be Asked to Pay It.
Washington, Dec. 27. The findings
of the British-American commission
chosen to assess the damages for seiz
ures of British ships in Behring sea
have been received by the state depart
ment and the British embassy. The
strictest reticence is maintained, how
ever, on the general character of the
findings, though it is admitted the total
award against the United States is 464,
000, which includes principal and in
terest. The finding apainst this gov
ernment is no surprise.
The controversy has occupied the at
tention of the authorities here and in
London for the last 1 1 years. At the
outset the tone of the controversy was
belligerent, suggesting a possible re
sort to arms. . This was following the
seizure, by the United States steamer
Corwin, of the British sealers Carolina
and Thornton, on August 1, 1886. The
facts of the seizure were not known
until some time later, and in the mean
time, the Corwin had taken the On
ward and Favourite. The same policy
of seizure and confiscation occurred
during the next sealing season, despite
the protests of Great Britain, the
United States steamer Rush taking the
Sayward, Grace, Anna Pack, Dolphin,
Alfred Adam?, Triumph, Junita, Path
finder, Black Diamond, Lilly, Arctic
and Kate and Minnie, and the cutter
Bear taking the Ada.
The claims for these seizures took a
wide range, beginning with the value
of the vessels and outfits, and includ
ing not only the value of sealskins con
fiscated, but also the skins which
might have been taken if the ships had
not been seized. This last feature of
prospective damage caused the main
contention. .-In the case of each Brit
ish ship, the largest item of the claim
was for: estimated future catch. For
instance, in the case of the Carolina,
the claim for the ship was only $4,000,
while that for skins which' might have
been taken that year it she had not
been seized was $16,667. Each ship
estimated a prospective catch of from
3,500 to 5,000 skins, the value being
from $3.50 per skin in 1887 to $12.25
in 1889. The total of the claims,
without interest, amounted to $439,-
161, and with interest at 8 per cent
and other charges, the total reached
$786,166.
The only official statement that
could be secured here of the judgment
reached by the commissioners is con
tained in the following announcement
given out at the state department: .
The award of the Behring sea
claims commission has been filed in
the department. The claims as pre
sented by the British government on
account of British vessels seized in
Behring sea, aggregated, with interest,
$1,500,000. These included several
cases not embraced in the settlement
proposed by Secretary Gresham. The
award now made amounts to $2Q4,-
181.91, to which will increase the total
about 50 per cent. The award is final,
and disposes of all cases before it. Pay
ment under the treaty must be made
within six months."
The departmental officials, it is as
sumed, will proceed at once to prepare
a bill or an amendment to one of tbe
appropriation bills for submission to
congress, covering the necessary appro
priation to pay the judgments, for, be
ing bound by treaty not only to pay
any judgments rendered, but to pay
them promptly, the government is in
honor bound to take the remaining
steps toward a settlement in short or
der. There appears to be little doubt that
the United States carried its point on
the question involved, as the prospec
tive damages were evidently scaled
down to an insignificant amount, or
rejected entirely. While the depart
ment officials will make no definite an
nouncement to this effect, intimations
are given that the smallness of the
award precludes the possibility of any
allowance having been made on account
of prospective damages. The Ameri
can claims commissions established the
precedent that no prospective damages
could be included in a claim, and the
present award is evidently on the same
line.
General J. W. Foster, who is now in
general charge of Behring sea affairs,
said tonight, as to the award, that he
was not surprised at the result. Presi
dent Cleveland having officially de
clared that $425,000 was a just and
equitable sum in settlement, and hav-
ng appointed as the American commis
sioner to adjudicate the claims a close
personal and political triend, it could
hardly be expected that the latter
would strenuously contend for an
award of a less amount. Mr. Foster
was absent from the country in Japan
when congress took action on Presi
dent Cleveland's recommendation, but
he regarded the commission as the
proper method of reaching a settle
ment,- and the only one which would
satisfy the country.
Slain by Congo Natives.
Lisbon, Dec 27. A dispatch from
St. Paul de Lonada, Portuguese Lower
Guinea, says that the natives of the
Humbo plateau, in the Portuguese col
ony of Angola, have massacred a Port
uguese officer, a sergeant and 13 men.
Reinforcements have been sent from
St. Paul de Loanda. Angola is south
of the Congo Free State. The colony
as been held by the Portuguese since
1486, and they have a number of forts
and commercial establishments-
THE ALASKAN FLEET.
Steamships Headed for the Northwest
Business.
The fleet of steamships which is
heading for the Pacific Northwest to
participate in the Alaska rush is still
receiving additons. The latest vessel
reported is tbe British steamship Amur,
which a Victoria trading company has
purchased in London. The Amur is a
comparatively new vessel, having been
built in 1890. She is 216 feet long,
28.1 feet beam, and 11.2 feet depth of
hold, and is 570 tons net register. In
addition to about a dozen resurrected
vessels already on this coast that will
be in the Alaska service the following
steamships are now reported as listed
for the Pacific Northwest, some of
them having already sailed: Bothnia,
Scythia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Indiana, Cottage City, Curacoa, Cone
maugb, City of Columbia, Valencia.
Amur, Brixham. .
Oregon Notes
Sleds are now being used on the
Union-Cornucopia stage line, from a
point four miles east of Medical springs
to Cornucopia, in Union oounty.
The heaviest surf experienced since
1884 prevailed on the Curry 'county
beach during the storms last week.
Many of the miners lost their beach fix
tures. The report of Agent Emery-shows a
total of 1,020 Indians on the Klamath
reservation, an increase of 59 over last
year. These red men have been de
prived of allowances for the past 12
years, and most of them are supporting
themselves well.
A Lakeview paper says that a scow,
to carry freight, has been put on Goose
lake, in Lake county. The scow will
befitted with sails and will be navi
gated as well as may be that way until
gasoline engines can be put on board of
her
A Southern Pacific official says that
up to December, the present season's
shipment of hops out of Oregon amount
ed to 26,000 bales, and, since that time,
5,000 more bales have gone forward,
making a total of 31,000, or nearly one-
half of the 1897 crop.
The city council of Salem has accept
ed the proposition of E. J. Swafford,
ex-city treasurer, and George Williams
and J. A. Baker, his bondsmen, where
by they agree to pay $4,000 before De
cember 81, in full payment of the bal
ance due the city from ex-Treasurer
Swafford.
Stock Inspector Vandvert, of Crook
county, will soon have finished his
semi-annaual inspection of the sheep in
Crook county. Only about 15 bands,
out of about 330,000 head, remain un
inspected. In all this lot, he has only
found three bands infected with scab,
and heard of two others that he will in
spect later. .
The Brownsville Times is authority
for the statement that the greater part
of the hops in that vioinity are yet in
the hands of the growers. Joseph and
Pierce Hume and Michael Webor last
week shipped their '97 crop to a New
York commission house, and the hop
men are anxiously awaiting the returns
of this shipment.
The work of clearing out the dirt
from the quarry at Point Terrace, on the
Siuslaw, was finished last week. Part
of the machinery has already been
taken to the mouth of the river, and
stored in the buildings there, and the
rest will be placed there soon. Mr.
Jacoburger, who has had charge of the
work, informs the Florence West that
he hopes to have all this business in
Florence arranged so he can leave this
week. About 45,000 tons of rock have
been used and about 450 feet of jetty
built this year, says the West. The
channel has changed so that nearly all
the water flows through the south
entrance.
In the trial of Allen Logan in Dallas
last week, on the charge of murdering
Enoch Sylvester, the head of the dead
was produced in court. The prosecu
tion secured identification of tbe grow
some piece of evidence, and showed the
jury fractures in the back part of the
skull sufficient to cause death. The
defense, however, produced as witnesses
three of the physicians who had been
present at the post-mortem, and estab
lished that the careful examination
these physicians had made was with
special reference to establish the fact
whether or not the blow delivered by
Logan had fractured the skull, and
each swore positively that at the post
mortem no such fractures were to be
found. , The head turned out to be a
boomerang for the prosecution, and it
probably contributed to the verdict in
Logan's favor.
It has been many years since the tax
collections of Umatilla county have
showed such satisfactory footings
they do this fall. For the last two
preceding years there was not an at
tempt made to collect the overwhelm
ing list of delinquencies with which
the books at the sheriff's office were
filed, for the taxpayers were in such
straits that it would have been of little
avail to do so. But it remained for
1897 to be the banner year, and for
the last several weeks the delinquent
accounts have been rapidly paid off,
until there remain but comparatively
few to collect. For three years pre
ceding the present tax collection year,
the amounts of delinquencies that have
been paid this fall amount to $32,
417.06, apportioned among the periods
as follows: Taxes of 1895, $23,602.75;
1894, $7,314.31; 1893, $1,500.
E. P. Wier, of Fossil, in Gilliam
county, shipped several carloads.of hogs
from Fossil to Portland last week.
Hoffman & Hastain, of Fossil, are pur
chasing hogs and turning them into
bacon. Last week they received 20
head from Frank Knox that averaged
271 pounds in weight, and 10 head
from J. D. Livingston that averaged
170. The prices paid were 4 cents
and 3.90 per pound, live weight, re
speotively, which made the hogs bring
over $11 a head.
THEY BLAME BLANCO
Ruiz Said to ' Have Been
Driven to His Doom.
THE BAD FEELING IS INTENSE
It Is Reported That Kuls Protested
Vainly Against Undertaking
the Fatal Mission, a
New York, Dec. HI. Indignation
over the killing of Colonel Ruiz is in
tense in Havana, says the Herald cor
respondent. Many blame General
Blanco, alleging that he forced General
Ruiz to go, in spite of the latter's pro
testations that it meant certain death.
All accounts agree that Colonel Aran
guen was personally opposed to to the
infliction of the extreme penalty, and
would have saved Ruiz, but his own
life would have been, sacrificed had he
done so, in opposition to the - orders oi
his superiors.
A cablegram nas been received stat
ing that General Lee has been instruct
ed by Secretary Sherman to notify Gen
eral Gomez and other rebels that they
need expect no American sympathy if
they continued to permit firing on flags
of truce. General Lee says he has re
ceived no instructions, adding that he
knew of no instance of the display by .
the Spaniards of a flag of truce during
this war.. It has never been claimed
by the Spanish authorities that Colonel
Ruiz was under a flag of truce-, that in
stitution being unknown to the Spanish
army in Cuba, its use being interdicted
as involving recognition of the insur
gents as belligerents.
Much excitement was caused on Sun
day morning when a small white war-
ship, bearing a strong resemblance to
the United States gunboat Annapolis,
was seen approaching the harbor. A
rumor spread that an American war
ship was coming in, and the people be
came frenzied when thestracger's guns
opened in a salute to the forts, many
believing the city was being bombard
ed. It was soon apparent that the ves
sel was the German schoolship Stein,
but several hours elapsed before quiet
was restored in the city.
All last night raging fires have been
visible southwest of Havana, only ten
miles away. Standing cane on the
Toledo and Potugalete stations, which
was about to commence grinding, was
set on fire by the rebels and completely
destroyed. The fire caused great con
sternation in Havana.
Within Sight of Havana.
Havana, Dec. 27. The recent un
fortunate mission of Colonel Ruiz to
the camp of Colonel Aranguen in this
province calls attention sharply to the
remarkable circumstances that a Span
ish officer and a messenger from the
American consulate could reach the in
surgent camp in an hour after leaving
Havana, when the troops have never
found it, and causes. sharp comment on
the military operations. The camp is
a few miles from a Spanish fortress,
and its location has been known for
nine months.
Ruiz' friends among the volunteers
and armed firemen of Havana censure
General Blanco, and call for vengenance
on tbe insurgents. From their camp
the insurgents have sent a defiant com
munication to the troops to come and
take it.
JUST OUT FROM DAWSON.
Latest Report Is That There Is Focd
Enough to Last All Winter,
Victoria, B. C, Dec 27. D. P.
Quinlan, who arrived here this after
noon on the City of Seattle, brings late
news from Dawson. He says there is
enough food in Dawson to last the
6,000 men now there all winter, those
without food 2,000 in number hav
ing gone to Fort Yukon. Two hun
dred will come out over the trails.
Major Walsh, who is now encamped
at Big Salmon, will endeavor to break
a trail through to Dawson, but he does
not expect to reach there until Febru
ary 1. He says he will allow miners
to stake claims in blocks of 10, retain
ing the adjoining 10 for th,e govern
ment. All the claims on Quartz creek
are now staked, and it will probably
be as rich as Eldorado and Bonanza
creeks.
The Seattle brought news of the
death of Samuel Wyckoff, of Tacoma,
December 11 at Skagway, of congestion
of the brain. '
The application of Bernard J. Moore
for the patent of . 160 acres of land,
comprising a part of tne townsite ot
Skagway, has been rejected by Register
Dudley, of Sitka.
Blizzard In New York.
Rochester, N. Y., Deo. 27. A bliz
zard is raging in Wyoming county, 40
miles south of this city. Nearly four
feet of snow has fallen in the last 24
hours, and the storm continues with no
sign of abatement. Roads are blocked,
and the farmers are shut up in their
houses. Engineers and firemen run
ning on railroads south and southwest
of Buffalo report much trouble with
heavy snow drifts. The Lake Shore
limited, due at Buffalo at 7:50 A. M.i
was blockaded in four feet of snow near
Angela, and was delayed two hours.
The storm struck Syracuse tonight,
and continued late in the night. Near
ly all trains at that place were delayed.
A Widow's Pension.
Washington, Dec 27. A pension has
been granted to the widow of Knud
Knudsen, a soldier in the late war, the
back pay of which aggregates over
$4,000. The man was a native of Nor
way, and was married to the woman
who gets the pension in April, 1858.
Knudsen emigrated to tins country in
1861, enlisted January 27, 1862, in
company H, Fifteenth regiment, Wis
consin volunteer infantry, and died in
service October 16, 1863.
IN
.A.