O P P O R T U N IT IE S IN P O R T O R IC O
Gen. Miles Blamed by the
Army Commission.
SECRETARY
ALQER
G r u « ra l R a g a n C an au rad
E u r e k a « « u t V » t r l« < l
l'a c lt a r a K i u n a r a t a d .
C LEA R ED
fo r K z n e e a lv e
lia t t u n a M a a t
Washington, May 0. — Bv direction
of the preslileut, who approved the find*
lugs, Acting Seoietary of War Meikle-
John today made public the report and
findingsof the military oouit appointed
to inveatigate tbn charge« made by Ma
jor-General Mile«, commanding the
uiinv, that the beef supplied to the
army during the war with Spain was
until for the u«u of the troop*. The
mo«t uti|»ortunt fuatures of the report
are:
The finding that the general’« find
ing« that the refrigerated beef was
treated with chemical« were not e«tab-
lialied; that hi« allegation« concerning
the tanned frosh or canned roast beef
were sustained a« to it« unsuitability
for food a« used on the trans;»ort» and
us a long-continued field ration; cen
sure of Generul Mile« for “ error" in
failing to promptly notify the secretary
of war when he first formed the opin
ion that the food wa« unfit; censure of
the cominissui V-geneial (then General
Eagan) tor the too-extensiva purchase
of the canned heef a« an untried ration;
censure of Colonel Matia, of General
Mile«* staff; the finding that the pack
ers were not at fault, ami that the
meats supplied to the army were of the
same quality aa those supplied to the
trade generally, and the recoiiiinenda*
tion that no further proceedings will ho
taken in the premises.
The conclusion of the court adverse
to further proceedings based upon the
charges is us follows:
"It has been developed in the oourse
of the inquiry, as recited In this report,
that in some instances some Individu
als failed to perform tiie full measure
of duty or to observe tiro proprieties
which dignified military laws com
mand; but tiie court is of the opinion
that the mere statement of official facts
developed meets tiie end of discipline,
and tliat tiie interests of tiie service
will be Ireat subserved if further pro
ceedings be not taken."
U N IO N
M EN
A n o th e r
Washington, May 9.—Owing to tiie
large number of inquiries that have
lieeri received b y tiie mem tiers of tiie
insular commission since their recent
return from Porto It I co. General Rob
ert P. Kennedy bus prepared a state
ment aa to tiie resource« and conditions
in Porto itioo, which he thinks will
cover the point* upon which tiie great
est interest lias been manifested. Con
cerning the people themselves, General
Kenedy says:
"There can scarcely be found on tiie
globe a more hospitable and warm
hearted people than tiioae of Porto
Rico. They aie in full sympathy witii
American institutions.
There is a
great deal of ¡»overty in tiie island, as
it is understood in tiie United Htates.
That is, tiie ;>eople live in flimsilv
constructed huts, have few clothes and
still less of ready money, but, owing to
tiie bounty ot nature around them,
they cun live with little work and few
worldly goods and still not suffer from
either cold or hunger. The stories of
starvation upon tiie island are baseleas
Manila, May I I .—Two companies of
tiie Second Oregon troops, witii tiie
same number of Minnesota troops, dis
covered today tiie strongest fo-tiflea-
tions and insurgent stronghold yet
found by General Lawton’s men. This
is at Hun Ildefonso, nine miles uortii
of Baliuug. Tiie position is so strong
tiiat it may lie tiie place ot a tre
mendous battle, if tiie insurgensts hold
tiie position. Tills ami otiier indica
tions show tiiat tiie progress of General
Lawton toward San Isidro will be con
tested every inch of tiie way. A mile
ot heavy earthwork« witii flanking
trenches defends tiie town in such a
way that a large iasly of troops will be
required to take tiie place.
Thousauda of half-starved natives
rush into General Lawion’s lines tor
succor, and all are being fed on rice
Mores captured from the rebels by the
Americans.
General Lawton has aet up a F ili
pino municipal governmriet at Baliuag,
with a Filipino mayor, elected at a
popular mass meeting.
fabrication*.
"While the richer classes live well
in beautifully appointed homes and
have been, for tiie most part, educated
abroad, so tliat they can s;>eak Englsli,
tiie |ierceiitnge of illiteracy among tiie
jsiorer classes is very high, reaching 90
per cent, lint tills is laigely due to tiie
fuel tiiat there are no soiioola worthy
tiie name outside of the largest towns,
or, indeed, one might say, in the whole
island.
"As to agricultural opportunities, I
should «uy tliat not one-fourth of tiie
laud is under cultivation, and thous
ands of acres yet remain to be given
over to husbandry. Lands are held at
good prices, owing to tiie promise ot
an influx of people from the United
States. Still, there is opportunity for
many thousands of |iersous who really
wisli to engage in agriculture in tiie
island. Tliat there are great oppoitun-
ities in Porto Rico is unquestionable.
To young men desiring to seek per
manent home* and who iiave a good
stock of energy and enterprise, Porto
itico offers great iuducementa. But I
would discourage tiie simple adventurer
who expects to reap a quick and un
earned reward.
"Tiie opportunities for stock-rais
ing, it appears to me, are auperior to
those in almost any part of the United
States, and tiiia without disparagement
to our own country."
FRANCE
D em ands
Spokane. May 9.—Tiie miners of
Shoshone county, Idaho, that proposed
to operate during tiie reign of martial
law may do so only on condition that
they do not employ members of tiie
Coeur d ’Alene Miners* Union. This
is tiie martial law aa laid down by
General Merriam and Attorney-Gen
eral Hayes, of Idaho. At a meeting of
the mineowners in this city this morn
ing, Mr. Hayes presented this man
date. Thu owners ulieerfully promised
to obey.
"We’re going to clean up the Coeur
d ’Alenes."
said Attorney-General
Hayes prior to his departure for Boise.
“ I have seen some of the mineowners
today and they have been informed by
tiie proper authorities that they cannot
employ anyone connected with a crim
inal organization in the county. Tiie
miners’ unions in Shoshone county
contain many dest>eradoes and crimin
als who tiave under the protection of
tiie unions perpetrated crimes ami out
rages. Twice has it been necessary
because of these men and their organi
zations to put the country under mar
tial law. We want to pot a stop to
that sort of tiling."
TO
IN V E S T
BACOLOR.
C o u n tr y A ro u n d Sun F e r n a n d o W ill B e
S w e p t o f R e b e la .
Manila May 9.—To clear tiie F ilipi
nos out of Bacolor about five miles
southwest of Suu Fernando, will be
tiie next task of tiie Americana. Tiie
rebel general, Mascardo, has a force of
600 men there, well armed and pos
sessed of plenty of ammunition. His
troops have never met American sol
diers, and they think, according to re
ports carried to San Fernando, that
they can "whip tiie whole lot.”
Bacolor is well intrenched, and thou
sands of natives are working like beav
ers digging trendies and carrying tiie
dirt in baskets. The enemy uses his
riflemen for fighting only, but ooinpels
tiie bolo men and Chinese men, and
even women, to labor incessantly.
The rebel outpost is about a mile be
yond San Fernando, with a trench that
holds between 200 and 300 men. From
that point sevoral volleys were fired
last night upon the camp of the Twen
tieth Kansas regiment.
Neither Major-General MacArthur
nor Major-General Lawton moved to
day, although each reconnoitered the
country in tils vicinity or some miles
from headquarters, developing the
presenoe of small forces of the enemy
In the vicinity of Laguna de Bay, the
rebels are extremely active, but t*ie
lines of General Ovenshine and Colonel
Wholley, who is commanding General
King’s brigade during the latter’« ill
ness, have been materially strength
ened, and there is no danger in that
1
direction.
STRONGHOLD.
R o o u i fo r Y o u n g M on n f E n t e r p r is e a n d
K ngorgy.
PR ESSES
C H IN A .
BARRED.
M a y N o t 11« K in p lu y e d In C m u r d ’ A le n e
V u ite r M a r t ia l L a w .
R EB EL
C o n c e s s io n s f o r
O u tr a g e s.
M is s io n a r y
Peking, May 9 .—Tiie French m inis
ter, M. Pichon, has demanded mining
conceaaiona to tiie value of 1,200.000
taels in the province of Szechuan, one
of tiie largest in China, and traversed
by the Yung-tse-Kiang, as indemnity
for tiie recent imprisonment of a
French missionary. The demand is
considered exorbitant. The Chinese
say tiiat the existing conditions of re
bellion are not due to any laok of en
ergy on tiie part of tiie government,
which baa frequently consulted the
French minister regarding the best
means of obtaining tiie freedom of the
priests in question.
According to advices from Hankow,
capital of tiie province of Hoo Pee, tiie
Russians contemplate taking definite
action with reference to property now
owned by British subjects in tiie Rus
sian Jardine concession. Tiie Russian
consul refuses to recognize tiie titles of
tiie claimants. Tiie affair threatens to
interfere seriously with tiie Peking-
Hankow railroad project, and tiie dis
missal of tiie Russian official ia con
sidered to be tiie only remedy.
A d m ir a l D e w e y A c c e p t s .
New York, May 9.— Dewey cabled
Saturday tliat lie would accept tiie
$100-u-plate banquet to be tendered
him on his return. Thia is only one
of a number of functions now being
planned and given great impetus liy
the arrival of tiie cruiser Buffalo,
which made record-time home from
Manila in 44!^ days. All tiie officers
declare tliat Dewey Is in the best of
health and spirits, and is satisfied with
being the head of the navy, wants no
presidential troubles, and is planning
to oorae home as soon ns peace is con
cluded,
F n w d e r P la n t W r e c k e d .
I n t r e n c h e d T o w n V X sc o r e r e d
b y O r e g o n T roop ««
S k l r m l t h N e a r Nan M ig u e l .
Manila, May 11.—A reconnoitering
party from Lawton’s command, consist
ing of two companies of the Minnesota
regimnt and two companies of the Ore
gon regiment, under command of Ma
jor Diggles, of tire Minnesota regiment,
advanced yesterday to a jioitit near San
Miguel, 12 miles north of Baliuag.
Tiie Americans were met with a volley
from a force of rebels behind a trench.
Major Diggles, who was woonded in
tiie head, and a private, together with
10 typhoid patients, were biouglit bv
special tiain to Manila today.
Tiie Don Jose, tiie last of tiie miss
ing steamers under tiie American flag
which where detained by tiie insur
gents since tiie beginning of the war,
and was found by tiie gunboat Manila
at Batangaa, arrived lieie today.
B R A VER Y
As M uny
OF
OUR
S O L D IE R S .
I n s t a n c e « In t h e
m s In C u b a .
P h ilip p in e s
Manila, April 11.— Instances of per
sonal bravely have been as numerous in
the American army in the Philippines
as during tiie Cuban cumpaign, hut tiie
oorsesjiomlents have not liad the same
opportunity to chronicle these deeds of
daring in the Orient, because, owing
to tiie thickness of tne country pene-
truted, ninny heroic acts were unseen
and unheard of for days after tiieir oc
currence.
One soldier who has well
illustruted tiie quality ot tiie American
urmy is Captain Charles Clay, of the
Seventeenth infantry. Captain Clay
is a native of Lexington, Ky., and a
grandson of Henry Clay. He brought
new honor to tiie family name in Cuba,
where during the hottest action of tiie
Santiago field, when his men were
lying behind cover for a shelter from
a shower of bullets, lie marched back
ami fortli in front of his company as
erect and cool as though on drees pa
rade, nor would Ue yield to the appeals
of the men tiiat lie find shelter. "The
captain never forgot for a second that
lie was a Clay," one of tiiem explained.
When Captain Hale was assigned to
a brigade in the Pliilippines he ap
pointed Clay to the position of adju
tant. O il tiie first day ot MacArthur’s
advance. Captain Clay, riding erect, as
usual, receive ! a bullet through tiie
neck. He lay six hours in tiie jungle
before he was discovered, and as the
wound was a dangeioua one at best,
bis life was despaired of. His only
thought when lie was brongiit into tiie
iiospital was that his family should be
informed that he was bnt slightly in
jured. He is now. however, well on
the road to complete recovery.
Among those officers who iiave fallen
no one w ill he longer or more loyally
remembered by liis comrades than
Lieutenant Gregg, of the Fourth in
fantry. No man in the army had more
than he to make life worth living,
for he had friends, success in hi* pro
fession, and a vitality and physical
strength that made him tiie imperson
ation of tiie athlete and soldier. His
fearlessness and confidence in his pow-
eis contributed to Ins death. In the
beginning of tiie liot figlit at Mariouina,
whicli General Hall conducted with
suoli skill and success that it was
worthy of more attention than the over
shadowing importance of MacArthur’s
advance permitted, Gregg was near his
chief. The horse lie rode iiad just
been shot under him. He was taking
off tiie saddle when a man warned him
that tiie shot had tieen fired by a sharp
shooter in a tree near by. Refusing to
take cover, as most of the men were do
ing, the lieutenant stepped forward,
and, standing erect, unoased his field
glasses to look at tiie tree. Just as he
raised tiiem to liis eyes a puff of smoke
was seen in tiie tree, Gregg put liis
hand to hi* breast and fell forward,
killed instantly.
Pottsville, Pa., May 9.—Tiie powder
mill plant of the Pottsville Water
Company, located seven miles east,
blew up today, destroying 18 tons of
powder. No workmen were about the
plant at the time of tiie explosion. A
gang of tramps, it is believed, set fire
to a magazine, wiiich contained 14 tons
of blasting powder.
Five minutes
later there was a second explosion,
when the drying-house, containing four
tons of powder, went np. The two
explosions wrecked the entire plant.
C la im s A r e N o t G o o d .
Debris was oarried for a distance of
Washington, May 11. — Major-Gen
half a mile. The loss amounts to about
eral Otis has decided against the
1 1 0 ,0 0 0 .________________
claims of foreigners for many millions
C r u is e r B u f f a l o H o m e .
due them for destruction of property
New York, May 9.—Flying ■ pt lio Ilo in the conflict between the
"homeward bonnd” penant, the U nit Americans and rebels. He declares in
ed States cruiser Buffalo, came into a ciroular letter issued to all claimants,
port this morning after a record-break a copy of wliioh has just reached the
ing run from Manila. She brought 690 war department, that the claims áre
officers and men from Dewey’s fleet, not accompanied by sufficient proof;
more than half of whom participated also that the property of all persons In
in the battle of Manila bay. The men the aotual zone of belligerently is
are those whose term* of enlistment liable to destruction from acts of war
have expired.
without recourse.
NEWS OF NORTHWEST
A B u d g e t o f G en eral N ew s G a th e re d
S e v e r a l l ’a e lf lo C o a s t
S ta te « .
lu
P a e lf lo N o r th tr ea t P r o d u c e r s .
At Pendleton, Or., there is on foot a
plan for the formation of what will be
called the Pacific Northwest Producer*’
Association, which will before long
make itself a strong factor in the in
dustrial life of thia section.
Tims
far, tiie membership seco red consist*
only of farmer« and grain producers,
hut it is hoped tiiat tiie wool men and
sheep-breeders will come in.
T iie
members sign the following agreement:
"We, the undersigned producers of
tiie county o f ------and state o f --------,
do hereby agree to unite ourselves in a
non-political body for the purpose of
providing for ourselves protection
against tiie trusts tliat have been
formed, and which dictate to the pro
ducers tiie prices of tiie commodities
which we produce; and to further pro
vide ourselves with a place to meet
and transact business and receive tiie
telegraphic market repoits of tiie
world; and to place ourselves in direct
communication with tiie consumers of
tiie world; and to unite ourselves in
one grand body and to promote har
mony and work for the general welfate
of the community at large, and for the
producer."
Tiie association will in no manner
touch the mercantile portion of the
business of the community, bnt will
exist solely for the purpose of ena
bling tiie producers of wheat, wool and
livestock to keep more cloeely in touch
with tiie markets ot tiie world, and to
tiie more intelligently handle them. It
will be tiie particular tenet of the asso
ciation that there siiall he no politics
in tiie conduct ot tiie affairs. It is
less than 10 days since tiie effort began
to form tiie association, and already
there are on tiie lists of prospective
mein tiers 168 farmers, wheat-growers,
and among them eome of tire most
prominent and solidest of the North
west.
S u r v iv e d » h e G r e a t F l o o d .
There were others who survived the
flood besides Noaii and his family,
thinks Peter Johnson, an intelligent
Aiaskan Indian, who is preparing to
write a book in defense of his theory.
Peter has been in Portland for nearly a
month on business jonnected with the
disposal of a quartz mine at Johnson’s
inlet, on the Alaskan coast, and he has
succeeded in unloading it on a com
pany of Americans for the neat sum of
120,000. Part of thia he intends to
spend in obtaining data for his pro
posed work,which will treat on Alaskan
tradition and contain half-tone photos
of the higher mountains which the
Aleuts of 4,000 years ago ascended while
tiie waters in the Far East were gradu
al ly raising the ark. He feels confi
dent that he can prove to the world
tliat a goodly family of his forefathers
did keep high and dry, and afterwards
lived to people that portion of the
eartli near the nortli pole with Esqui
maux and Alaskan Indians, who have
written a history of the affair on their
totum pole*.
K l o n d i k e G o ld Y i e ld .
The latest estimates of the Klondike
gold yield this season range from $12,-
000,000 to $20,000,000. The Klon
dike Nugget says: “ The output has
not been more than donbled, so that it
is not probable that royalty will this
year be paid on more than $8,000,000
Exemptions and evasions will give
abont donble that amount, as the pro
duction of the territory for the year
ending in the summer of 1899. The
primitive methods used in working
the claims make it very unlikely that
the washup will give more than from
$12,000,000 to $16,000,000 on the out
side." As compiled by the Midnight
Sun this season’s yield will be $20,000,-
000, distributed among the various
creeks, including branches, as follows:
Eldorado................ - .................... ................ |5,500,noe
Bonanza............... .
. —........... ................ 5,000,000
Hunker......................................... ................. 3,000,noe
D om inion..................................... ............... 8,700,000
Gold Run...................................... .................. 300,000
Sulphur........................................ ................. 5(0,000
Quartz........................................— ................ 250,000
E u rek a......................................... ................ 250,000
All other creeks, including Stewart
river.....................-...........
............... 1,000,000
M u s t K e e p O ff R e s e r v a t i o n .
Forest Superintendent W. T. S. May
has received notice from Commissioner
Hermann, of tiie land department,
that sheep must be kept off the Uintah
forest reservation.
Many thousands
of sheep from Utah and Wyoming have
been pastured upon this reservation
every summer, but Superintendent May
has reported that the piaotice is injuri
ous to the timber, and Commissioner
Hermann’s order is the result. Super
intendent May lias notified the flock
owners by telegraph.
T h e S h o r t L in e to B u ild .
The Short Line has awarded the con
tract for a number of sidetracks and
the widening of its grade in a number
of places to the Corey Bros., of Ogden.
The contract aggregates something like
$40,000 and covers all extensions and
buildings oonnected with the present
system from Milford to Butte and from
Granger to Huntington and all branch
lines.
T r a n s - M I s s ls s I p p l C o n g r e s s .
Governor Geer has been asked to ap
point 12 delegates to the trans-Missis
sippi congress, whioh w ill meet at
W iohita, Kan., May 81. Those who
desire to attend w ill be appointed.
■
E uropean H ope.
Experiment 1* to be made at the
Corvallis station with two varieties of
ot European hops that it is expected
may benefit hop production in Oregon.
One of the varieties is early, and the
other medium early in cropping. Each
is very strong in lupnlin
Only half
a dozen root* of each has been furnish
ed the station by tiie department at
Washington.
Dr. Withycombe will
cultivate these on the college farm,
and if results are favorable, arrange
ments will follow for growers to be
«upplied with enough cuttings to get
a start in the new varieties.
N o o k s a c k R iv e r H a t c h e r y .
Governor Roger« and Fish Commis
sioner Little, comprising the majority
of the state flah commission, last week
visited Kendall creek and its confluence
with the Nooksack river, and officially
designated it as the site for the fish
hatchery provided for by the last legis
lature, to be located on that river. A
force of men was set to work on its con
struction, and it is expected to hatch
spawn from it this year. Five thous
and dollars was appropriated for con
structing and maintaining the hatch
ery for the first year.
M a r lo n C o u n t y C r o p s .
“ Unless the weather moderates and
more sunshine is had soon, there will
be a light wheat crop." This is the
opinion of a number of piominent
wheatgrowers of Marion county. They
say that tiie season has been so back
ward, the weather being cold and rainy
both night and day, that wheat ha*
not yet made any appreciable growth,
though usually at this itme of year, it
is well up. The wet and cold weather
is favorable to the increase of hoplice,
which have made their appearance on
hop vines in different parts of the
county.
P A C IF IC
COAST
TRADE.
P o r t la n d M a r k e t .
Wheat— Walla Walla, 69c; Valley,
60c; Bluestem, 61c per bushel.
Floor—Best grades, $3.20; graham,
$2.65; superfine, $2.16 per barrel.
Oats—Choice white, 43 @44c; choice
gray, 41942c per bnshel.
Barley—Feed barley, $22.00; brew
ing, $23.00 per ton.
Millstuffs—Bran, $17 per ton; m id
dlings, $22; shorts, $18; chop, $16.00
per ton.
Hay—Timothy, $8@9; clover, $7
@8; Oregon wild bay, $6 per ton.
Butter—Fancy
creamery,
40c;
seconds, 3 6 9 40c; dairy, 30@36c store,
20935c.
Cheese— Oregon full cream, 13}£o;
Young America, 16c; new cheese,
10c per pound.
Ponltrv—Chickens, mixed, $ 3 9 4
per dozen; liens, $ 4 . 00@6.00; springs,
$1.2593; geese, $6.0097.00 for old,
$4.60 @6 for young; ducks, $ 5 .0 0 9
6.60 per dozen; turkeys, live, 1 6 9
16c per pound.
Potatoes—$ 1 9 1 .1 0 per sack; sweets,
2c per pound.
Vegetables—Beets, 90c; turnips, 76c
per sack; garlic, 7c per ponnd; cab
bage, $ 1 9 1 .2 6 per 100 pounds; cauli
flower, 76c per dozen; parsnips, 75c
per sack: beans, 3c per pound; celery,
7 0 9 75c per dozen; cucumbers, 60c per
box; peas, 393}^ c per pound.
Onions—Oregon, 50 9 75c per sack.
Hops— 11913c; 1897 crop, 4 9 6c.
Wool—Valley, 11913c per pound;
Eastern Oregon, 8913c;
mohair,
20c per ponnd.
Mutton—Gross, best sheep, wether*
and ewes, 4c; dressed mutton. 7>^c;
spring lambs, 7%c per lb.
Hogs—Gross, ohoice heavy, $4.60;
light and feeders, $2.50 9 3.00; dressed,
$6.0090-00 per 100 pounds.
Beef—Gross, top steers, 4.009$4.60;
cows, $2.50 9 3.00;
dressed
beef,
6 9 0 ^ c per pound.
Veal—Large, 6 9 7 c ; small, 7% @80
per pound.
S e a ttle M a rk ets.
Onions, 8 0 o 9 $ l-1 0 per 100 pounds.
Potatoes, $36 9 40.
Beets, per sack, $ 1 9 1 35.
Turnips, per sack, 50970c.
Carrots, per saok, 76c.
Parsnips, per sack, 86c9 $ 1 .
Cauliflower, $1.00 per doz.
Celery, 35940o.
Cabbage, native and California
$3 75 per 100 pounds.
Apples. $ 1 .7 5 9 3 per box.
Pears, 6 0 c 9 $ l-6 0 per box.
Prunes, 60c per box.
Butter—Creamery, 20c per pound;
dairy and ranch, 12 9 1 8 c per pound.
Eggs, 18c.
Cheese—Native, 13c.
Poultry—Old hens, 16c per pound;
spring chickens, 14c; turkeys, 16c.
Fresh meats—Choice dressed beef
steers,
prime, 9c; cows, prime,
9c; mutton, 9c; pork, 7o; veal, 8@10o.
Wheat—Feed wheat, $20.
Oats—Choice, per ton, $26.60.
Hay—Puget Sound mixed, $ 7 .0 0 9
8; choice Eaatern Washington tim
othy, $12.00.
Corn— Whole, $23.50; cracked, $24;
feed meal, $24.00.
Barley— Rolled or ground, per ton,
$26936; whole, $24.
Flour—Patent, per barrel, $8.86;
straights, $8.10; California brands,
$3.25; buckwheat flour, $3.60; graham,
per barrel, $3.60; whole wheat flour,
$8.76; rye flour, $4.60.
Millstuffs—Bran, per ton, $16;
shorts, per ton, $16.
Feed—Chopped feed, $21 9 3 2 per
ton; middlings, per ton, $22; oil oske
meal, per ton, $38.