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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1914)
THE OREGON DAILY JOURNAL,' PORTLAND, MONDAY -EVENING, DECEMBER 28, 1914. PRICE ITANT BUT EXORB CEMETERY SAYS ST. NECESSARY JOHNS HEAD Ij.and of Doubtful Value, As sessed at $33,33 Per Acre, Held at $1600 Per Acre. CHANGE IN LAW NEEDED efflalter Zled Declare Owma Should Be Kaa to Bednee Trio ' "We are paying1 many times rer too much for the land. It la a holdup, but what can we do about It? Every body who owns land In the vicinity is demanding just such prices, and the city needs a cemetery. Thtie did Mayor A. W. Vincent of St. Johns today comment upon tne city's purchase of approximately five acres of the William Gatton donation land claim about three quarters of a mile north of St Johns. The tract in cludes 13. SS acres and is assessed at t50. or about 128.33 per acre. Tet when the city of St. Johns wanted to buy it for a cemetery the price is SI 600 per acre. - The land is of such doubtful value that It has been assessed at $33.33 per acre for years, while valuations of adjacent properties bays been in creased. Thus appears one more in the lengthening list of Instances where land of insignificant intrinsic value vaults skyward when it is wanted for public use Price of Land Vaults. The city of St. Johns has been with out a cemetery. It needs, one. Its of ficials cast about for a location not too far from the city to be' accessible and not too near to be obnoxious. Two sites offered themselves the O. E. learned tract of 26 acres, which was priced to the city at 12000 per acre, and the William Gatton tract of 13.56 acres, for which 11600 .per acre was ask-d. The Learned offer was rejected. The Gatton proposition was accepted, the city to take approximately five acres and pay for it on a long term contract basis as the cemetery lots were Bold. When the matter was voted upon at a recent meeting of the council. Coun cilman W. A. Davis moved that the Gatton tract be purchased. The mo tion was carried In spite of the opposi tion of Councilman Charles P. Chad- wica- ana ueorge w. naunson. X.od Designated "Overflow." The reason the CJatton land has re mained at an assessed valuation of M&0. or $33.33 per acre, for many years is Because ix-puty Assessor Tom jncuuigio naa aetaisrnated it "over flow" land in his field reports. The ' land borders on CoLumbla sloucrh. but part of it a piece on the west side or tne mwmcung road is elevate. The Boll consists of a hard red clay sua nna. inune wno nave seen it say tts value for farm or garden pur pones is negligible. The tract is threenurtcni nf mil- north of the 8t. Johns cityJLmits. Tha land adjoining it on the east, owned ' by Charles K. Ladd and the P. it Strong heirs, comprises 848 acres and is assessed at $70,100, or $201 per acre. LLfid fed InlntrVB. it nn a wa Afi ca acres, part or the Gatton grant, is as sessed at $35,000, or about $S2 per sere. The latter tract adjoins the sloughs and marshes of the vicinity also. Considers Price Exorbitant. City Engineer J. O. Burson of St. .determine its exact area. Mayor Vin cent declared today that he conald- ered the purchase price exacted of the city exorbitant and unreasonable and so far in excess of the assessed valua tion' that it amounted almost to a scandal. "I had no part in the decision on the purchase, because I have no vote in the council,1' he said. "But I realized, 'mm I think dlri cvprv mmhir nf tYm council, that the price was away ou. of reason. "The question, however, resolved It self Into this: We had to have a cemetery and we could not buy any land anywhere within proper distance for anything less. It was a holdup PROXIMITY OF GATTON TRACT TO ST. JOHNS SHOWN SEC. 35 ! V rc mmJ( 3EC 3 i H. NN. i , OF t V.S rncroMN ! ..n. SHEPHERD ELS OF; HIS ARRIVAL ON THE HUNGAR IAN F RONIR Tract marked In black Is parcel which Is valued at $3$. 33 for as sessment purposes, but which jumps almost fifty times in .value when town desires it for cemetery. i and I believe there should be an agi tation to prevent any further exploit ing of the public by holders of lands who list them In assessment books at Insignificant figures and hold them at enormous prices when anyone wants to buy." Striking Example of Srfl. D. C. Lewis, representative-elect from Multnomah county, declared to day that the cemetery tract offers a striking example of tne evils 01 me present taxation system. "People should inspect tne assess ment books before closing aeais ior the purchase of real estate," declared Mr, Lewis. "If the assessed valuation Is somewhere near the sale price de manded, or not more than half the sale price, one may consider the property, a good purchase. If it is any more than half the selling price the buyer should look out. As our law is now, one can not introduce the assessed valuation as evidence before a conrt. Sales like the one at St. Johns ought to be stopped. If not that, then the owners should be compelled to pay taxes on the true valuations." I ? Mayor Vincent said I that William Gatton, owner of the property in ques tion, demands $1600 per acre for the whole tract, even that ! part which Is sometimes covered with flood water. Is Bundled Off to Little Pol ish Home Where Room Is Given 'Him by Officers. 60 NEWSPAPERMEN THERE They Gather In BUT San Used as Press Headquarters Where Censors Meet and Olve Qnt Military xrewa. BATUM ON BLACK SEA GREAT NAPHTHA PORT OF CZAR'S KINGDOM Singular Mixture of Old and New Has Come Into Ex istence on Ancient Site, Washington, Dec. 28. The National Geographic society gives descriptions of the great Russian oil port of Batum, which the Turks recently bombarded, and of the Vistula river region, which has bten the scene of the great eastern campaign between, Russian and Austro- Gcrraan forces: "Squatting on a marshy plain, with a smell nf petroleum, a wonderful harbor, anrl a strong naval fortress, Datum, recently bombarded by Turkish warships, is the great naphtha port of Russia, a sea outlet for the oil f lolds ' of Baku, and the foremost city upon the eastern shore of the Blak sea. It is 4 place of 40,000 inhabi tants, alive with the snap nf western business and filled with the color cf eastern peoples. It has just three things to please the fancy; Alexander park, on Lake Nurie, at its eastern boundary; a cathedral completed In 1906, and a straight, palm-fringed boulevard along the sea. Close to Turkish Frontier. "Batum is about eight miles from the Turkish frontier in Asia Minor. Russia conquered it from Turkey, .and the congress of Berlin, in 1878, con firmed the conquest. In awarding Batum to Russia, it was stipulated that the port should not be made into a naval base, but the city is now a strongly fortified station. In 191. following the collapse of the ancient quay, extensive harbor works were undertaken, with the result that Ba tum has been made one of the safest, best equipped harbors on the Black sea. "The city is very ancient in loca tion and very recent in importance. It r $2 G Tl to San Francisco Oo 0 hJ' nA Raclr FOR THE New Year Holidays TICKETS ON SALE December 29-30-31 and January 1, 1915, to San - Francisco and -other California points; also to Klamath Falls via Weed. Return limit all points January 4, 1915. Superior Train Service Observation Cars, Standard and Tourist Sleeping Cars, High-Back Chair Cars and Diners. Solid vestibuled trains. Holiday Fares in Oregon . Tickets for the New Year Holidays wffl be on sale between all points in Oregon December 31 and January 1. Tickets" will also b sold be !TSA 9 E... P. R & .. P. E. & E. and - o. I-. i w. points. Ketum limit for all stations January 4, 1915. Can at City Ticket Office. 80 Sixth Street. Corner Oak, Union Depot or East Morri son Street Depot for full par ticulars, fares, reservations, train chedules, etc Southern Pacific Kzposmoxr un iis John M. Scott, General Passenger Agent, Portland. Oregon is mentioned, tpider various names, from early antiquity. The Russians have- been the first to endeavor to launch it upon a career. Though still highly unsuccessful from a sanitary standpoint, it has a model modern city's ground plan, thej streets being the shortest ways between two points and most of the city Squares having sharp right angles. Modern conven iences,, however, have been lost sight of in the city's stride for business. "Made" by Pipa Line. "A pipe line and a railway made Batum. The pipe line is laid down from Baku, and it brings to the port its principad export oil; The railway connects Batum with the main Trans caucasian line, through Tiflis, and with Baku. Besides petroleum and its by-products, the city ships " liquorice, manganese, silk cocoons and wool It imports tin and machinery. Greeks, the shrewd dealers in money and goods in the near east, have control of much of the business. i "Subtropical vegetation sets off the city. A recognizable tea and consid- . erable bamboo are grown in a nearby valley. Lemon and orange trees grow j out of doors. While mild and warm, the weather is very erratic. The an- 1 nual rainfall is high &0 inches and falls mostly in August and September. Sometimes 16 inches of rain bursts upon the cly within 48 hours. Batum is in its second or possibly third child hood, with only an occasional well appointed house, but with a commerce of around $30,000,000 a year, and with the same alertness of air which busi ness success has brought to f ' vored western cities. Vistula a Great Stream. "The Vistula river, one of the might iest streams tlowing toward the north, sweeps in an Irregular ctwirse, through three empires, Austria Russia and Germany. It serves as a frontier line between Austria and KJermany, be tween Austria and Russia, and, for a shorter distance, between Russia and Germany. Upon its banks lie the cities of Cracow, Warsaw, Modlin, Block, Thorn, Kulm, Graudenz, Marienburg, and the Baltic port of Danzig. "The Vistula rises In Austrian Si lesia, and takes a circuitous course of 650 miles to the sea. j Its source is on the northern slopes: of the West Beskiden, a spur range of the Car pathians. The upper reaches of the river run through a narrow, wooded valley, narrowing in places to a pic turesque gorge, with tree hung sides, and throughout its highland way Is surrounded by as wild scenery, as can be found within the United States. Havlffabla to Cracow. "Just before reaching . Cracow, the Vistula leaves the mountains, and from this Galician city seaward it is nav igable for smaller boats. Its. direction from Cracow is away from its mouth, and it penetrates deep into the plains of Russian Poland before it turns, not far. from Warsaw, back to German lands. Its banks through the high Polish plateau in the -south and in the neighborhood of Warsaw are high bluffs, often sharp and faced with loosely held earth erosions, and alto gether difficult of passage between bank and bank. From Warsaw on, t is navigable for larger river craft. "The Plain through which the river passes from Warsaw to the Prussian boundary smooths away into swelling lowlands, the river coarse becomes tricky and wandering, while the sandy banks are forever sliding into the wa ter. The Vistula enters Prussia 10 miles above Thorn, the strong Prussian frontier fortress. Beyond this point it cuts through the Prussian ridge, en ters low country again, where Its shifting banks give considerable trou ble to navigation. River Has Heavy Traffic "The Prussian government has ex pended large sums of money in the endeavor to win a mastery of the river, and to keep it serviceable as a great trade artery. - The Vistula has a heavy traffic ! lumber, grains and other farm productions. "Before reaching the North sea at Danzig, it divides into two arms, that on the west retaining the name, Vis tula. Thick sheet ice binds the rivtr at Warsaw, as a general thing, from about Christmas time to the first of March. It is visited by periodical floods of powerful headway in spring and in mid-summer. The Vistula forms one of the most Important commercial avenues In Russian Poland, in addition to its Important Prussian traffic. It is connected by canal with the German River Netxe, and through It with the Oder. It has a drainage basin 74,000 square miles In area, and receives the rivers of recent war fame, the San, the Bug. the Pllica, Bxnra and the Wlepra as tributaries." Bealty Broker Kills Himself. Los Angeles, Dee. 28. Edward Sav age, age 6, a real estate dealer, shot and killed nimseir nere early today. The cause of his act was not known. By William G. Shepherd. (United Press Staff Correspondent.) On the Hungarian Frontier, Nov. 19 (By MaU to New Tork). Our little newspaper party, numbed with the cold, climbed out of the car today and were led by a sentinel through a great double door into the muddy passageway of a building. A side door opened and we entered a huge, long room, warm and well lighted with oil lamps. Three long tables ran the length of the room. There were the remnants of a giant dinner on them, which soldiers were clear ing away. A piano was banging. A huge man with a jolly face was sing ing. Men . sat about the tables in small groups, drinking- beer and lis tening'. It was my introduction to the Austro-Hungarian press headquar ters. In this little town 60 newspaper men are lodged. It requires a small army of officers and soldiers to care for them. The town Is set aside .en tirely for the press, and every sol dier to be seen, every horse, every one of the scores of supply wagons, every automobile, every officer all have as their duty or purpose ths convenience of the correspondents, who are mostly Austrians and Hun garians. In addition to the comforts which the writing men . have, there are two auto busses at their dis posal, which make regular trips, be tween this little town and headquar ters. And on the road you often see a train of four or five .small wagons carrying beer, which will be con sumed in large part by the newspa per men. The correspondents pay for their beer, but their feed is furnished them free. In this great room, r.-here I ate my hot, belated, supper, the cor respondents do a great deal' of their writing, and here the censors, who are appointed to deal in various lan guages, talk over the' copy of the journalists, read out news at meal time and give instructions as to pos tal and telegraph arrangements. Given Boom With Clocks. An auto was waiting for me and I was whisked to a whitewashed . house on the outskirts of the town i where a room had been : eserved for me. The family, was Polish. All about the walls of the little room were pictures of the Christ and the Virgin Mary. It was the parlor, and three clocks were ticking away mer rily. I have been in scores of such houses in America, I remfimbered that one time in a Massachusetts town, during a strike, I had slept for four nights In Just such a Polish home, waiting for the deputy sheriff to come and put the family out into the street, but( the sheriff did not come and I had missed my story. There had been two clocks in my room in that house in America. Poles seem to run to clocks. I locked two of the clocks in my valise to i ruffle them and went to bed. It looked to me. Just as I was dropping off. into slumber, as if I had been pocketed by the Austro-Hungarian war department. Here I was, in a small town, a hundred miles from the front, and no way to get there except by army trains, and tne l Polish woman rapped at my door to tell me It was 7 o'clock In the morn ing. At breakfast in the big loom I found that my status was absolutely military. I received Instructions that I was to go to the headquarters town at 9 o'clock. I took the long ride over the hills in a coach In a wintry sunshine. I met Colonel von Hoen, who has entire charge of all the fielj forces of correspondents, and he hart a pass ready for me. In German it is known as "legitimation." It bears my photograph and my autograph, and a careful description of my personal ap pearance. "Tomorrow," Colonel Hoen "Ibid me, "you are to - be started for the front, but first you will be received by Gen eral Count von Hertzendorf, the chief of staff." Received by Chief of Staff. Tills was far more than an Ameri can or any other correspondent could have expected In the way-of Austrian courtesy. The Archduke Frederich is the commander-in-chief of the entire Austro-Hungarian army, and CJeneral von Hertzendorf Is next ;n command as chief of staff. The next day Colo- ned von Hoen escorted several corre spondents, including myself, to the field headquarters and we were shown into a room, which was entered short ly by a gray-haired, quiet-appearing gentleman of slender stature, who greeted us with .as much ease a$ if the occasion were a reception Instead of an incident in the world's supreme war. He spoke to a German corre spondent in German, to an Italian in Italian, to a Swiss in French, and I do not. know bow many other tongues commands. There was not even crepe on his arms for the son killed in battle. Another of bis sons had Just been wounded. He asked me about my country and its feelings toward Austria, and I told him that what the United States wanted was the truth. We want you to have the truth," he replied. Then he old us there were six of us that we must be very careful of our health when we went to the front, and carefully re gard all the regulations and' precau tions that the doctors would impose on us. Then he, went back to - MS maps and his duties of directing mil lions of men on his million-mile chessboard, and we went back over the hills to pack up. j Make Progress in Securing Tracts Number of Parcels Sear Portland 1 Where Needy Ken Kay Work, Being Examined; Big Baft Will Arrive. Substantial progress in securing tracts of land where needy men may be put to work during the winter months is expected to be made today by J. A. Madsen, secretary-treasurer of the Pacific coast district of th In ternational Longshoremen's union, who is in charge of the land-clearing department for the Citizen's Employ ment committee. A number of loca tions in the vicinity of Portland are being considered. Some of these tracts will be inspected this afternoon. Mr. Madsen's office is In the Ainsworth building, his telephone number, is Main 2454. A huge raft containing 400,000 feet of timber will be delivered in Portland today and when the donkey engine has been Installed the committee will be able to put on a full force of men at the wood yard. It is the aim of the promoters to make every man earn the price of his meals and lodging In the "Troy Hotel." East Water and Taylor streets. Additional bunks are being Installed. J. C English, chairman of the committee, says that the relief plan is working out nicely and that ap plicants for aid seem, ready and ill ing to work for what? they get. Bullet Removed From Man's Brain Condition of Walter Askay Is Un changed Bnt Chances for Recovery Are Better How. The eonditt&n of Walter Askay. who was shot Christmas night when bul lets intended for a negro prisoner rtlm was escaping from City Detectives Moloney and Swenness glanced and went through a St. Johns car window at Fifth and Pine streets, is reported to be uncnged today. The bullet, from a .38 caliber re volver, and flattened on one side . to the size of a 10 cent piece, was lo cated by X-ray Saturday, and Dr. A. E. Rockey Saturday night performed an operation and removed the slug from the brain.' The missile had en tered on one side of the head, behind the ear, and passed entirely through the brain, stopping against the skull on the other side. The physicians say that his chances of recovery grow bet ter 'with each day. I John Jones, the negro highwayman wno broke from the officers and; who was the object of the bullets, la to be tried before Municipal Judge Steven son this afternoon. CONFER ON LABOR LAWS O. P. Hofr. state labor commis sioner, and his deputies held a confer ence this nffcrning at the branch of fice. 350 Third 'street, with Ti H. Burchard, president of the State Federation of Labor, and K. J. Stack, secretary of the S. F. of L., relative to the enactment of the eight hour law and legislation necessary there to. Further conferences will be held from time to time before the meeting of the legislature. Another fact brought out at this conference is that workingmen are deprived of wages due them for overtime by reason of the cost necessary to conduct a suit. Inquest This Afternoon. An inquest in the case of Charles M. Kegler, manager of the Vulcan Fuel company, 483 Pettygrove street, who died at St. Vincent's hospital last Thursday after being struck by a Carlton hotel bus at Broadway and Couch street, will be held this after noon at the Dunning ft McKntee under taking chapel. Relief Ship Will Be Selected Soon Either Washington or Cranley is Ex pected to Com Here to Xioad Con tributions. V Whether the Belgian food Bhlp Wash ington will carry the cargo of food stuffs given by, Oregon, Washington and Idaho, or whether the ship Cranley will be sent to carry the Oregon con tributions exclusively has .not been set tled, but Samael Hill, chairman of tf' Oregon Belgian relief commission., ma this morning that cable correspond ence with the American commission at London is Expected to settle the matter by tomorrow. f - The food ship is expected t leeel at the municipal wharf wltfi the contribu tions from Oregon people about Jan uary 15. Among the contributions received to day by the relief commission was $5 from Dorothy. Harnett, the ; 7-year-old daughter of the Wasco. 'Or., banker: $15.80 from Wtllard cong negation ' and neighborhood at Macleay. iri and $5.40 from the Methodist Supdayf t-hool at' Hall, Wash. There is alse to come from Wlllard church at Macleay eight sacks of food and clothing. the result of a contribution gathered Dtember 20. Mirth, Music and a Menu Befitting the occasion, will be yours for thorough enjoyment if the Imperial Hotel Grill is to be your chosen place of enter' tainment on New Year's Eve Special Table d'Hote Supper 10 P. M. to 1,A. Af., $2.50. Cabaret, Balloons and other enter taining features are programmed. 7 !F New Years Dag I Sa Table d'Hote Dinner $1.50 d 530 to 9 P. M. MusicQ a liberal interest rate and your cash always safe THAT'S what a Savings Account offers you .here. Get started with the NEM YEAR NOW with $1 or more. , United States National Capital ....... $1,000,000 Surplus And Undivided Profits $1,250,000 Third and Oak Sts. Portland, Oregon Bank fn TD) SACH IP AT IWiCfc On Reliable and Stylish x ! i V. i : !- mm . I i I people that have from DELLAR'S are well aware of the fact that we carry the best grade of footwear. Thousands of bought Shoes Ladies' Patent or Gunmetal, cloth tops, with the newest heels, regu- OC larly $3.50, at 900 Ladles' Black, Brown, Gray OC Suede, regularly $4.50 .$0O Ladies' Tan, regularly $4.50, 0 QC the pair &L00 Ladies' $5 grades reduced to DO.OO Ladies' $6 and $7 grades JJ A reduced to $3.85 and $T"00 Men's Korrect Shape Patent, Gunmet or, Tan, regular $4.50 and Q S grades tP .' I Men's None Equal Gunmetal, half dc ble sole, button or lace, the U O j MOii pair . Men's to $5 grades reduced A J . . J Men's $6 and $7 grades J A j Q C reduced to $3.85 and tT.OO 1 :J1 291 MORRISON STREET, NEAR FIFTH ON SALE AT YOUR NEWS DEALER TODAY E EXPOSITION NUMBER OF j SUNS AZINE 40 - r "i l" it . - ;.i i 4d Pages of reading matter and illustra tions full color pictures two color photographs devoted to the Expositions and the Pacific j Coast READ IT SEND) IT Let th World Know That the Exposition Is Rea3y If you wish to send this big Exposition number to some of your Eastern frieruis, send us their names and addresses, together with 25 cents to cover each maga zine you desire mailed, or leave order with your news dealer. We will wrapj Ad dress and mail them for you without additional cost. " ' '4 . SUNSET MAGAZINE, 460 Fourth Street, San Francisco, Cali Journal Want Ada ring results.