The Oregon daily journal., November 08, 1908, Page 55, Image 55

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THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND, .SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 8, 1908.
i 0
LIFE IN THE SPOTLESS
TOWN OF WILLEMSTAD
SAYS GOMPERS
LABOR'S CHOICE
Walter McArthur Assumes
to "Speak for Coast Work-'
ers Denver Fight. . t
1 EW JUDGES ON
SUPREME BENCH
FouiMay Be Named by Taft
Fuller Six Years Past
Retirement Age..
Oil Paintings
Reduced
One-Fourth Off
Trunks
Truly Dutch in. All But Blood and Language From It
Little Old New York Was ' .Once Ruled
s : . -Why Men Starve and Talk of Warl
Bf FREDERIC J. HASKIX. .
(Copyright, 1908, by Frederic J. Haakl'n.)
Washington, , Nov. 7. "Spotless
Town," exclaims the .American traveler
who. behold for the first time the
capital city of the Dutch West Indies,
Like a bit of Holland transplanted to
the troplo sea. Willemstad expresses
Its loyalty to the The Netherlands In
tne spotiessness or Its houses, in the
redness of Us tiles, In the -cleanliness
of Its cobble-stones and In the length of
, Its burghers' pipes. Most of its Dutch
men are black as to face and kinky as
to hair, but they are Dutchmen just
the same.
Willemstad is the home of 30,000 of
the 40.000 people who live on the Is
land of Curacao. Here centers tha quar
rel about the trans-shipping Issue which
threaten to cause war between Holland
and Venezuela. Here every Venezuelan
revolutionary leader, at one time or an
other, has found asylum. Simon Boli
var, tha -first, lived- here- ' In" exile.
Ciprlano Castro, the ' last, - lived here
while organizing his scheme. to. take
possession ef Caracas. : , '
Castro's 'decree prohibiting trans-shipment
of cargoes at Willemstad, and the
consequent cessation of all - commercial
relations between Curacao. and. Vensue
lan ports, has brought the people here
to the verge pf absolute starvation. The
Dutch government is expending- a thou
sand dollars a day to feed th destitute.
Jf the Dutch, by diplomacy or war,
cannot bring about a revocation of that
decree, there will be nothing left for
the government to. do but send ships
to transport these , people to Surinam,
Holland's other possession In South
America. Curacao is a barren Island,
It has no water. It has no rain. It has
no products. ' It exists merely as' a
sort of International freight junction.
Looks Good, Jnrt the Bame.
Notwithstanding its present poverty,
Willemstad Is a delight to the sye. It
is built on both sides of the narrow
entrance to the harbor of Santa Anna.
This entrance, shaped like the neck of
bottle, is but 500 feet wide. The
houses are close down to the water's
edge on both sides, and neatly built
sea-walls make the roadstead seem like
.an artificially constructed canal. This
neck suddenly opens into " the lagoon,
a deep body of water three miles long
and nearly as wide. In it the whole
of Admiral Sperry's fleet might lie at
anchor, and not one of the ships could
be seen from the open sea, only half
a mile distant. Admiral Cervera'e fleet
hid there during the early days of the
Spanish-American war. Just now there
are three Dutch men of war In the
lagoon, but they are entirely out of
sight of the town.
The narrow neck of the bottle Is
crowed by a pontoon bridge, the Inspi
ration of an American consul who ob
jected to chartering a flat-bottomed
Dutch gondola every time he wanted to
cross the street. The bridge Is built on
a number of floats, and at one end of
the float has a gasoline engine In It.
When a ship knocks at the door of
Willemstad tor admission to the port,
the gasoline engine is started and' the
whole bridge is swung around until it
1Ir flush against the seawall at one
side of the entrance. The ship passes
into the lagoon, the gasoline bridge pier
chug-chugs hack Into position and the
pedestrians stroll over, dry shod,
staled Mew fork From Oturaooa.
On eaeh side of the narrow entrance,
and at the "corner of the sea," Is a
fort. High aboveihe city on a hill Is
another fort, which overlooks both the
entrance to the harbor and the deep la
goon. These forts are ancient and ob
solete, although thev have a few mod
ern guns. Fort Amsterdam and Fort
William are over two centuries old.
Fort Nassau boasts of the antiquity of
over J00 yeara The new wireless tele
graph station and the semaphore sig
naling apparatus are the only things to
convince one that he has not waked up
In th&days of the pirates of the Spanish
Main" These forts were built to pro
tent Willemstad against the depreda
tions of pirates and of the pirates' allies
the kingdoms of Spain and Kngland.
It is hard to realize that New York
was once an outlying appanage of
Curacao and that Manhattan island was
once governed by a Dutch governor who
lived in this old Fort Nassau. It Is In
teresting to know that It was - In de
fending this cltv against the British
that Peter Stuyvesant, most famous of
the Dutch governors of New Amster
dam, lost his leg. One Is convinced
that none of the proud Knickerbocker
families of modern Gotham need be
ashamed of this ancient seat of their
ancestors.
Where Sect 8 till Counts.
The walls of Fort Amsterdam once
included all there was of the city. It
was not healthy to live outside of fort
walls In the West Indies when Sir
Henry Morgan was flying tha Jolly
Roger. But the town grew so rapioy
that there wasn't room Inside the walls.
so the streets were made narrower and
narrower. Some- 6f themare only three
feet wide and the upper-stortsof tha
houses often touch. -
Inside the fort, as It has been recon
structed and, made smaller, is the old
Protestant church, The present edlflce
was erected in 17J9 and Is still as , good
as-new. To this church belong all the
old Dutch families of pure blood. The
negroes ana ma v,nriu
bloods are all Catholics.- The dlstlne
Hnn ia mn ahum that the oldest lnnabl
tant of the pure .Dutoh colony was
pointed out as "tne oldest Protestant in
F,, Thn r ahout 1.000 He
brews, roost of them descendants of
tnose pnven irom opum w " . ;
in Holland during the days pf thestadt
holders. They have an orthodox synagogue-
and . a X reformed temple. a ne
Catholics have a half aozen oeauuiiu
churches,
. A Mort wonderful Zngnage.
' Oddest and qualnteat-pf -all the odd
and quaint things -of tt. Is town W
th languafe. Rverybody? speaks pap
lamentoj" which is a language pecuUar
to Curacao, it is duui uuuu -tlon
of good Holland Dutch, and the su
perstructure Is of concrete made by
mixing Spanish, .English, , French Por
tugese, Danish, Carlo and the dlaleots
of the valley of the Congo. No mortal
man but on born in Curacao can speak
it."-Almost everybody can understand
a little of It, and everyone who speaks
It can carry on a fairly good conversa
tion in any one of the dozen languages
of which r'pa1piamento" is made up. It
la a great convenience for the visitor,
because he may speak to anyone In his
own tongue, and he will be understood.
The people of Willemstad are polyglots.
They have no need for Esperanto.
Onoe ramouB for Boose.
Curacao's chief claim to fame has
been the delicious liqueur which bears
the pame of the Island. Curacao was
not alwaya barren. Formerly there
were a great many orange trees of a
peculiar variety, and from the skin of
these oranges was manufactured the
"liqueur Curacao." But there was some
unexplained change In the meteorolog
ical conditions in this part of the world,
and tha rain oeased . fo fall upon this
island. The orange trees died, and the
business of making the liqueur was
tVa.naf.rren to other islands. The agri
culture was practically killed, and now
there are only a rew wnia.11 irritcu
gardens at the edge of the sea. There
Is no fresh water on the Island, and
averv .Iron that ia used must be brought
tn schooners from some other West In
dian Island or from Venezuela.
Forced to win his living from the sea,
every man In Curacao is a sailor. Every
body on the street talks ships. Every
body at the club talks ships. In the la
goon and along the sides of the neck of
water which divides the town lie scores
of idle schooners. They are idle be
cause President Castro of Venezuela has
refused to permit them to trade with his
countrv. Most of them were formerly
engaged In legitimate trade, and some
were smugglers. But Just or unjust,
all are idle now.
On the streets the men who used to
man these schooners are talking about
war. They are hungry and their chil
dren are being fed by a charitable gov
ernment. Side by side with these sail
ors forced to stay In port, walk the
Venezuelan exiles. They are the men
who cannot go back to their own coun
try until Castro Is deposed or dead.
They, too, talk of war.
Out in the lagoon are anchored three
Dutch men-or-war the Jacob von
Heemskerk, the Frelsland and the Oel
derland. The people of Willemstad,
starving sailors and Venezuelan exiles,
look to those warships as their only
hope. If their guns do not reduce Cas
tro's pride. If their power Is not suf
ficient to bring succor, no hope is left.
That Is why the voice of Curacao Is
for war.
Aside from the warlike talks and the
sheen of the battleship guns In the
harbor, Willemstad Is as mild and do
cile as if It were the capital of the
kingdom of peace. Naked brown babies
roll In the narrow streets, laughing at
the woes of men, and the quarrels of
nations. Young girls In gay kerchiefs
and bright gowns stroll along the water
front, ready to smash the heart of
Sailor Jack when he comes In from the
sea In his ship. White-clothed men sit
in the windows of the club house, smok
ing long pipes and watching the sun
light dance on the water. The people
are. clean, the houses are clean, the
streets are clean. It Is the charming
spotless town of Willemstad. One can
not but feel that his heart Is with these
people in their quarrel with Venezuela,
for it Is a matter of Ufa and death
with them. Since Castro has his pomp
and his millions and his power, why
should he put a blight on fair old
Curacao T Why notl Ive and let live?
(United Pm Leased Wlre.1
San Francisco, Nov. 7. ."Samuel
Gompers will be elected Unanimously
to tha presidency of tha American
Federation of Labor."
. This statement was made today by
Walter McArthur, editor of tha Pacific
Coast Seamen's Journal and one of the
most Influential labor leaders in the
west.
"The Pacific coast will send a solid
delegation to the Denver convention in
lavor of Gompers," declared McArthur,
"This talk about Qomoera being de
posed and ousted from the presidency
of the federation is all bosh. The la
boring men are more than aver en
thuslastla for him."
Rumors were started here today that
Andrew Furuseth, manager of the Sail
ors' union of thai Pacific, one of the
largest labor unions in the world, would
be a . candidate to succeed Gompers.
Furuseth is not in the city, but Mo
Arthur said he could say positively
that Furuseth would not be a candi
date. Furuseth has alwaya been a sup
porter of Gompers and McArthur said
no would continue to support Gompers
until the last gun was fired. ,
Chicago, Nov. T. President Samuel
Gompers. Secretary Morrison and John
Mitchell, with 200 delegates, departed
on a special train for Denver today
to attend the convention of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor, which begins
Monday. Gompers declared that ha did
not know what the convention would
do regarding the formation of an In
dependent labor party. He declined to
discuss the possibilities of his being
reelected.
Denver, Nov. 7. Delegates arriving
for the annual oonventlon of . the
American Federation of Labor, which
Will meet next Monday, today refused
to discuss their attitude on the threat
ened move to depose Samuel Gompers
from the presidency of the organiza
tion. Year after year the attempt to
depose Gompers has been made, and as
regularly defeated. This year, how
ever. It Is rumored, a stronger feeling
has arisen against him on account of
his recent action In openly supporting
Bryan and attempting to throw the or
ganization officially to the support of
the Democratic candidate. Although
many measures of vital Interest to the
laboring men will be considered. It Is
predicted that political matters will oc
cupy a great deal of the delegates'
ume.
The federation Is expected to take
a decided and definite stand on legis
lation affecting labor, particularly the
treatment of labor in the oourts:
PATRONAGE OF PUBLIC
. LIBRARY INCREASES
The statistics of the use made of the
public library during the past month
show a remarkable growth. In all 34,-
diu ouukh were cirouiaiea. or these
8,014 were drawn from the Alhlnn
branch, 2,633 from the east side, 1,782
from Sellwood, 4,729 from county sta
tions, 6,190 from the children's room
and 17.192 from the main denartment
The periodical room has been so crowded
that often there were not chairs enough
In the afternoon to provide for the
readers. More have been added and the
room Is now taxed to Its utmost ca
pacity, the average attendance being
300 a day. The reference room has also
been crowded during the whole month,
4,826 people having used the room.
A special list of books on the origin,
customs, and stories of Thanksgiving
has been made in the children's depart
ment and a bulletin posted. Thanks
giving stories will be told on Friday,
November J7, at 4 o'clock.
A delivery station, of the public
library has been established In the
reading room at the Hassalo street
Congregational church. Interesting
books lor grown people and children
will be found on the shelves. It is.
however, through the delivery of, books
on request from the central library that
the station can be of most service to
its patrons. Requests for books may
be telephoned to the reading room, and
the books will be delivered by messen
ger from the central library. The read
ing room Is open every week day from
1 to 9 p. m. .Telephones East J401,
Home A-1898. Miss Luella McCoy Is
custodian.
We are the exclusive users and have
shipped to us direct Armour's corn-fed
eastern beef, from which we cut our
steaks and roasts. You should try the
difference at the Perkins Grill.
Tomorrow and Tuesday positively last
days for discount on west side gas' bills.
Don't forget to read Gas Tips.
MY. PATENT
SUCTION TEETH
Never Slip or Drop
i ne Kex
Alveolar Painless Dental System
(The Men Who Make Pain Fly)
Don't hide your teeth because they are
unsightly. Consult "THE REX" pain
less dentists free and learn how to have
good, healthy teeth at small cost.
Our Advice Is Free -
No Pain ! No High Prices !
SPECIAL RATES
While Introducing This Wonderful
Dental System.
22k Gold Crowns .... .... .$3.00 TO $5.00
22k Gold Bridgework , . $3.00 TO $5.00 .
Silver Fillings... .50t Gold ..... . $1.00
The
Rex
f ''
Expert - Rainless Dentists
i a rand Theatre . Bulldlnir ,
380J4 Washington Street, Corner Park:
10-Yeap Written Quarantee v U
Open Evenings and Sunda;
3&
(Special Dispatch to Tb JoaraaL)
Washington, Nov. T. Associate Jus
tice Rufua W. Peckham reached his
seventieth year today, and consequently
adds another to the list of members of
the supreme court who are eligible to
retirement. It la a pretty general rule
among the members of the court to take
advantage of the law which permits
them to retire with full pay when they
have reached the age of 70, though In
the case of a few members who hays
been blessed with robust health they
have waived the rule and have contin
ued to grace the wool sack for several
years alter they have reached the age
of earned retirement. At other times
the exigencies of politics have caused
them to hold on or retire, as the case
may be, in the hope that their places
may be filled with men of their own
party. ;
- Ton Eligible to Retire.
Now that the complexion of the na
tional administration has been settled
for four years to come. It would not be
surprlstne if there should be some
changes in the personnel of the supreme
tribunal before many months have
elapsed. ' With Justice Peckhara there
are four members of the court who have
passed the retiring age. These are Mel
ville W. Fuller, chief justice, who la 75;
John M. Harlan, associate justice, who
is only three months the junior of the
chief Justice; David J. Brewer, asso
ciate Justice, who will be 71 next June,
and Justice) Peckham, who vas 70 years
old today. ,
Taft Stay Vame Them Ail.
President Roosevelt Is not likely to
have an opportunity to name a member
of the supreme -court, but his successor,
who will take office March 4 next, will
In aU probability have the naming of
at least four members of the court to
take the place of those now eligible to
retire. Chief Justice Fuller has already
given nearly alx years more to the ardu
ous task of weighing every matter com
ing before the court than he would have
had .to give. He Is a hale and hearty,
well-preserved old man, and bears his
three score and U years with grace.
Though for the time he Is chief execu
tive, Air. Fuller is compelled by prece
dent and ndoA taste to keep out of poll
tics, he la yet a Btanch Democrat, and
among his friends It Is an open secret
that ha has held en lo his high posi
tion during the past few years In the
hope that President Roosevelt might
be succeeded by a Democrat and that as
a consequence his own successor on the
woolsack might be a man of like polit
ical faith. Now that the next president
is known there is nothing to prevent the
chief justice from retiring whenever he
so desires.
Harlan and Brewer Bepnblloans.
Next to Chief Justice Fuller In DOint
of years ootnes Harlan. He is a man of
large physique, and seemingly as full of
health as the best of men. But he has
reached an age where most men seek
rest from active affairs, and his retire
ment before lone is expected. Hla has
been an exceedingly active career. . He
comes from Virginia, via Kenttieicy, tnat
is, his ancestors were Virginians. He
is a Republican, and In 1876 he was the
Republican candidate for governor of
Kentucky. He has been an associate
Justice of the supreme court since 1877.
Associate justice David j. Brewer
became eligible for retirement last
year, having neen born in Asia Minor
in 1837, his father having been a mis
sionary to Turkey. Whether he Intends
to avail himself of the privilege to re
tire In the near future Is not known.
He appears to be a man of excellent
health. In politics he is a Republican.
- Peckham Is a Democrat.
It la believed that Justice Peckham
will' probably avail himself of the op
portunity to retire. During the pat
few yeara his health has not been of
the best, and more than a year ago it
was rumored that be was likely to quit
the bench. He took his seat in 1905,
succeeding the late Howell E. Jackson
of Tennessee. He is a Democrat, but
was never very active In politics. " At
the time of hi appointment by Presi
dent Cleveland he was a Justice of the
supreme court of appeals of New Yorji.
He is a native of Albany and had
served as district attorney and corpor
ation counsel of that city before he be
came a Judge. He is highly esteemed
by his associates on the supreme bench
aa well as bv all others who know him.
COUNTESS CAII
GO BALLOONING
Transcontinental Racer In
vites Olga Ihle to Get
Into HisIMrigJble.
Los Angeles, Nov. 7. Countess Olga
Ihle, the beautiful j'ouh"gGerman wo
man who came to Los Angeles a few
days ago from her castle in the moun
tains of Mexico, is today considering an !
invitation to accompany Horace Wild, !
pilot of the balloon United States, on
the transcontinental race which starts 1
from this city November 16.
Learning that the countess came to I
California seeking adventure after her
quiet life In the southern mountains,
Dick Ferris, manager of the contest,
suggested that Pilot Wild Invite her to:
enter the race in his balloon. Accept
ing the suggestion. Wild last night
wrote a letter to the countess, offering
to carry her in his balloon as far as!
her' home In Mexico, and there make a!
ing
complete the journey
For three days only we will sell the famous "Likly"
baggage-smasher proof Trunks at one fourth off. The
line includes Wardrobe, Steamer, Dresser, Hat and
Ordinary Trunks, ; in , all grades. These goods are
known the world oyer as the best that have been pro
duced in trunks. For quality and appearance you can't
beat them.-
Thrice Days' Leather
Specials
Full leather Suit Cases, 24 inches
long, with inside ahirtfold, riveted
frame, well strapped and fitted with
strong locks; regular $8 df Qf
values, special. .......... .p?7)
All our $1.50 Hand Bags, in black
and colors, with Venetian handles
and inside . coin purses, pe- TO-
cial UK
Traveling Cases and Rollups, contain,
ing manicure and toilet articles com
plete; values from $1 to $50
This Week 33 Off
Just in a new shipment Cross Imported English Glows, in
all styles, shades and prices.
EXCLUSIVE AOENTS FOR CROSS COOD3
XL : ;
irii
Three Days Only
43 original Oil Paintings, no two alilqe;
values up to $15; beautifully framed irt
latest designs of moldings, each encased
in a shadow box; every one a work of
art and an imported piece; your QQ
Don't fail to see our new line of bun
galow and den pictures in Washington
street window.
Artistic Picture framing
CONSULT OUR OPTICIAN
Handy Articles' in Our
Surgical-Dept.
Corset Ankle Supporters, for weak or sprained ankles; fits
inside the shoe, and laces up like a corset; the J
Artificial eyes, made in Germany, and the colors so blended
as to make it almost impossible to distinguish them from
the natural eye.
Elastic Hosiery and Bandages of all kinds and descriptions,
guaranteed to last and give satisfaction.
Trusses that will hold any rupture that can be held by a truss
Eureka Hand Vibrator, has Swedish massage movement,
works with a. crank instead of an electric current, and1 is
the most complete artificial exerciser on ''the M A A
market; price plUUU
toot Arch supports, guaranteed to give tne j
proper arch to a low instep and make aJ
ir.,.7..:?:f.p.c... JI.5U to $3
Experienced Lady and
Gentleman Attendants
in This Department
-Ml
New Style in
Lye Glasses
ViOv
We are constantly adding new goods
to our Optical department; just now we
are showing some very neat styles of
Rimless Eyeglass Mounts, made of solid
gold, elegant, but not expensive.
Our Bifocals
or Double Glasses enable the wearer to
use one pair of glasses for both near and
far vision.
Consultation Free
OPE1N A. CHARGE ACCOUNT WITH US
Woodard, Clarke & Co.
Fourth and Washington Streets
'Exchange, 11
Home A6171
FRANCE AND GERMANY
QUARRELING AGAIN
(United Preu LctMd Wire.)
London, Nov. 7. It 1 reported that
France and Germany have again en
gaged in a violent disagreement over
tne Casa Blanca negotiations and . It la
asserted that the new trouble has re
sulted from the action of the kaiser.
Who is said to have Injected himself Into
the dlsput. The conference between
Ambassador Cambon, representing
France, and Secretary Von Schoen, rep
resenting Germany, is said to have been
practically, broken off.
After virtually accepting the French
form of declaration, Von Schoen Is re
ported to have insisted on the Inclusion
of two additional paragraphs. The first
paragraph was an expression of regret
on im part 01 ranee that her soldiers
had Interfered with the prerogatives of
the German consulate. The other cen
sured the French officials at Casa
Blanca.
The reauest was summarily refused
by Ambassador Cambon, who stated that
the proposal was distasteful. The
French government has been Informed
of the 'changed attitude of Germany."
It Is Believed the kaiser suggested that
Germany demand the additional para
graphs.":;. . ' :
After the, French ambassador had
made known his displeasure at Von
Bchoen's proposal, the German diplomat
proposed that the -French and .German
notes be united. Cambon declined to
consider tha proposition.
'( '-. "
Tomorrow and Tuesday BosttlVelv Isst
days for discount on west side gaa bills.
Don't forgat to read Oas Tips, I . ,
i)J fal; ill I
I THIS XABEL STANDS 1R&4YZJ(3lSF II
! 8OP KNOWING HOW l ; ; Jit
Sole Agents Dunlap Hats
Money Saved
On Your
Tailor Bill
and you, yourself, better
and more stylishly
dressed. Is this a con
dition you
would wel
come? Our
clothes are not
cheap; Stein -Bloch v
made them in their mod
ern, high- grade way.
Tailors of upper-ten skill
handled the cloth. The
clothes fit you, and give
you style, yet they do
not shake you down to
pay for these qualities.
A Try-on Will, At Least;
Open Your Eyes
Suits, Overcoats and
Raincoats $20 to $W
ROBINS N
T . . . 1 ' ' - " 1. .....
,. 289 and 2?1 Washington Street
k G
Perkins Hotel E!
i'