East Oregonian : E.O., October 29, 1906, DAILY EVENING EDITION, Image 1

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VOL. 19.
PENDLETON, OREGON, MONDAY, OGTOJIER 29, 190(5.
NO. 5801)
EASTERN ORE
1 OAiLY EVENING EDItIonI a (fr g. ; DAILY EVEN1HBEDITION j
; I
SM
AFFIDAVIT
FROM
IS
Cashier of Commercial National Bank and Guardian of Minor
Indian Heirs Placed 'in Compromising Position.
A. I.. Parker Alleges That lie -Offered $20 Pe r Acre for the Jrnny -Van
Pell Land, Which Was KM In by 'MeCnllum nt $10 Per Acre and Ira
mrdlalcly Hold by McCallum Through Thompson, for $21 Per Acre
Facta Were Evidently Misrepresented to Purker by Thompson Mrs.
Van Pelt Was Deprived of Hulf the Market Value of Her load by
Someone I-and Was 8oU by Ho r. for $1720 and Is Now Held at $5000
by the Owner.
Hint the highly sensational story, tll in the Euat 0rcgonian
rf Friday, Oetolor 2 iiikI in tin? Morning Tribune of Sunday, Octo
ber 2N, iii connection with the sale of the Jennie Van Pelt land at the
I'niatilhi agency last May, as a true one. k shown by the following
sworn statement fruii A. L. Parker, present owner of the land.
In the story tohl last Friday .Mr. Parker was said to have offered
$20 ))er acre for tho land before it was sold on -May 7 to 11. U. Me
I'tillum for a little over 10 per acre, the total itriee k'ing $1720.
Mr. Parker is now at work on the -loverninent initiation ditch
below Echo and last ovening he gave to the Kast Oregoiiian tlie fol
l.iwinir JstaU inent of his dealings with W. L. Thompson, in connection
with the .Jennie Van Pelt land:
"Echo, Oregon, October 2f. 1 '.()(?.
"I, A. I- Parker, Immiic first duly sworn, do say that I am the
present owner of the northeast (iiart'r of section IS, township 1, north
of range .'13, E. V. M. That 1 purchased the same of 11. It. McCal
luin, through the aseney of V. L. Thompson, cashier of the Commer
cial National Bank of ' Piudkton. That the said Thompson at that
time told me he had a power of attorney to sell the same for McCallum.
That I paid the price of f?:;:i0 direct to Thompson alxnit May 11. but
Jiil not receive tho deed until last week.
"That Thompson told wo the deed arrived about two months ago,
1 .1 1 I 11 i . I .1.,... r.tli.M
llltl lie Said llC OIU MM WIUIl IIIC
Indian lands hail been sold. lint the
. . ... 1 .1. It .1.!.. .1 1
HIIU IIKM II I II IB. . 1 V JIUl 'll llv: !- .I..1I.VI IM". iiv,i.i.c
'would not sign the deeds, or words to that effect.
- "That aliout XovennVT 1, 1H05, I became a de)ositor at the 'om-
moici.il .National bank. Tlint about the middle of April, li'M'Ml, .Mr.
Thoiupsoii approached me in resrard to the sale of the land -descrilied
above and then owned by Jennie Van Pelt. He asked me to look at
it and see what it wan worth. I did so and told him I would bid $20
an acre for it. Ik asked me if that was all I would give and I said
it was.
lie advised nic to bid a little over $10 an acre for it and said that
if any one else came in to bid on it hi' w"ld advise them not To do so,
us x frit ml of his was buying it. ltelyinu v.pnn Mr. Thompson, to bid
for the land in my behalf, I htft with him my check-for about one
fourth of the entire price of the latid at $10.50 per acre or there-
. 1 . 'PI... I1 .1...... t.i...... ... .1,., .l.iln r.-f tin. jv.l,. .... njlv-nl-tis...l
It I Mil 1 1 s. 1 II IK w ill II II I'Miv: 'I I- 'I i ' iii' .in iv. "i 1 1 iv -t. i ii. i.. . i , . -
"That after the alnvo laud hail been sold to McCallum. Thorn p-
.11 .1 ... 1 11. .4'.. 11 -... l.. ......... l.n.l 1S.w..l
SOU oll IMC mill it II!. Ill Uilllll'i! .Iiri
i i .....i.i .1.. i i n
:11 ailll IHIUillll 111" Illllil. lie -.;ii
nway and that he lived soinewhcTe
to find him.
"O few davs later I went into the bank and Thompson told me
that he had secured a power of attorney from McCallnin to si'H tho
land. That M.-Cailnin wanted -i'." an acre for the land and that he
lid not think he would take any ks. 'But Inter T made a trade with
Thompson wherehv I paid $21 an acre for the land. Since I pur
chased the land I have beer, offered $M0 an acre for it. but have re
fused to sell.
(Seal.) "A. E. PATtKElt.
"Sub-'crTlK'd an1 sworn to before me this 2Sth dav of Oi-toVr.
H0(i. TA P. SMTTilK,
W. I.. Thompson" Heply l Affidavit.
This nfternoon W. L. Thompson,
cnshlnr of tho Cwmmernlul Nutlonal
bo-iik and gunnllnn of tho heirship
lnntls. prepared the following reply to
the above offlilnvlt by A. L. Parker.
The Eaat Orcgonlnn cheerfully pub
lishes the reply of Mr. Thompson,
since Its only desire Is to do exnet Jus
tice to every one concerned In this in
teresting controversy. Mr. Thompson's
reply Is as follows:
Pendleton, October 29. (To the
Editor of the East Oregonlan.) It
has not been my Intention to make
answer to the attacks which have
been made upon me during the past
week through the columns of the lo
cal press, nor would the matter re
ceive any attention from me at this
time except for the fact that through
your courtesy I have read the affi
davit of A. I.. Parker, made by him
for publication. The statements
therein are so misleading that I re
gard. It as but Justice to myself and
the public that the true details of
the Van Pelt land transaction, so far
ai I am concerned, be made.
In the first plnco, I deRlre to say
that Jennie Van Pelt Is an educated
Indian woman, quite as capable of
looking after her own affairs as the
average white woman, and that In the
litigation through which she acquired
the piece of land In controversy and
In the legal mutters touching said
sale she was represented by the law
firm of Halley & Lowell. Judge
Ilalley will be tn the city at the open
IL
PARKER
TO
tl'.-vl IvI-wivUM! tuvil m.v.uiij-v vi.ivij
deeds not vet signed by the Indians
h.um w.l 1. it'iiti n-Tyn.il (linui Tii.l.'iiifi
.III I I -'iimiiii, . ii''v-i
vi..r'..n 1....1 .1..,.. ..i; ,.l
ll'-, -.n: iiiiiiui, nun nun uijiv-i
in Montana anil that he would try
Notary Public for Ore.
rpgon.
Ing of the supreme court on Monday
next, and at that time I trust thnt i
full statement from him and from
Mrs. Van Pelt will be given to the
public.
Judge litiwcll paid little nttentlnn
to the Indian business of the firm.
and Is not familiar with the details of
this matter. He advises me, how
ever, that the deed was executed by
Mrs. Van Pelt and her hnsband. In
his office, In the presence of Super
intendent Edwards, and that it was
done Intelligently and freely and vol
untarily; and further, that she was ad
vised that If she was not satisfied It
was her right to have the land re-ad-vertlsed.
I had nothing whatever to do with
tho listing of the property, and no In
formation except thnt which was open
to every cttlsen, nnd the McCallum bid
wns put In In the same manner as
any person had the right to do under
the law. The land was advertised In
the newspapers and at the Indian
agency for three months, and any
person who desired to bid thereon
could do go.
Mrs. Van Pelt Is n mature woman.
and I never represented her In any of
ficial cnpaclty and hud no acqunlnt
ance with her except as she had bor
rowed money at the bank. There
were two bids presented at the In
dian agency for said lands, one by
McCallum and tho other by A. L. Par
ker, that of McCallum being the
larger.
(Continued on Page 8.)
THOMPSON
Marlon F. Davis, Grand Chancel
GH OR
S HERE
lil'KST OF KM..HTS OF
PYTHIAS THIS EVENING.
Trum Work and Socinl Session Will
Follow--Frank S. Grant, of Pirt
liuid, Will Also Be Present Tills
Eveiilng Older Is Very Prosperous
In Oregon and Is Adding New Mem
bers Continually Everywhere.
Marlon F. Davis, grand chancellor
of Oregon for the Knights of Pythias,
arrived this nfternoon from his home
at Union, and this evening he will b
the ?uest of Pamon lodge No. . at
Its meeting In the I. O. O. F. hall.
In honor of the grand chancellor's
visit seme work In the third rank will
be given by a special team, and fol
lowing the same a social session will
be held. The meeting is Intended as
a reunion for the members of the
Pendleton lodge iin well as in honor
of the grand officer. Also, the other
lodges ol the county have been Invit
ed to attend, nnd a delegation Is ex
pected this evening from up th
county. "The order throughout the stale Is
row in a very flourishing condition,"
s:ild Grand Chancellor Davis this
afternoon. "The first six months of
tills year 1 believe were about the
hc-st we hav.j ever had. Two new
lodges wer oig.ii.lzi.-d, .Va. 100 at Lrs
tnie, and Xn. 101 nt St. Johns. In
.". 1ililli.il tc those there are now pe
titions for lodges at sereral other
places, tuning the towns doslrlns to
have It dne Instituted aie .kud, Sm-r-lilan
nnd Echo. There are now til
tctlve Knights of Pythias lodge In
the domain of Oregon and there jr?
close to 1000 members all told."
ii-and Chancellor Duvis has Seen
at the head of the oi ler In this state
since October, 19(15, and during that
time he has labored earnestly an 3
filthfullv for the betterment and up
huilillrg of the organization within
his domain. Dining that time he has
traveled hetwen 5000 and 6U0I) miles
and has personally viisted about hnlf
the lodger of the state. He hogies to
reach the most of the remaining ones
before his term expires next May.
Through n change tn the holding of
the grand lodpe he will servo longer
thau the regular term of tho grand
chancellor. At the session a year ugo
It was decided to meet In the spring
heresfter and the meeting for 1906
was dlejjensed with.
At the gin nd lodge session to be
held nest May there will he a third
rani; tenr-i contest open to the winning
team cf each district In the state. The
reward for the team winning the
grand lodge contest will be a $100
sllver.cup. At the session held In Oc
tober, 19iB, the cup was won by Da
mon, lodge No. 4, of this city, and
already 'plans are being formed for
next spring's contest.
Frank S. arnirt, of Portlnnd, will
he another distinguished knight In at
tendance at the lodge session this eve
ning. He is the present chairman of
the judiciary committee and Is also
the editor of the Senator, the official
paper of the order lr- the northwest
He will reach here this evening from
Portland.
Xct M eel ing at Milton.
Walla Walla, Oct. 29. The Young
People's I'nlon of Walla Walla dis
trict, chose Milton as their next meet
ing place at their business session In
the Christian church this morning.
The officers selected for the next
I year are John Lyman of Whitman
'college, president; H. L. Gray of
I Waltsburg. vice-president; Jessie Wll
J llnms of Milton, secretary; Amy Mc
i Quary of Dayton, treasurer.
lor Oregon Knights of Pythias.
W(
WRECK
KILLED SEVENTY
IXTEHLOCKIXG DEVICE
DID NOT WOUK PROPERLY
Flfty-XIno Bodies Have Been Recov
eml, of PcmoiM Drowned In Mud
unil Water Other Bodies Carried
Out to Sen Electric Train ot Three
Cars Plunged Off the Causeway Be
twecit Atlantic City and Mainland.
Atlantic City, N. J., Oct. 29. Con
ductor Curtis today says there were
95 passengers on the train. Twenty
nave oeen louna to De living, so
there could not be more than dead,
Fifty-nine bodies were recovered up
to early this morning.
It Is charged the 'interlocking device
was faulty, and it is alleged the rail
road officials knpw !t.
The car which was raised had no
bodies In it, but a number floated
when the car was pulled out. It Is
supposed many bodies floated out of
the windows and were carried to sea.
Story of the Accident.
Atlantic City. X. J.. Oct. 29.
Three passenger cars on the electric
line plounged last night off the
Thoroughfare," the local name for
l!i" causeway hetween Atlantic City
ano ine mainland. 1 ne cars were
carrying a-bout 140 passengers. The
ears were not at first completely sub
merged, as the tide was out, but In n
short time they were out of sight In
the almost bottomless mud of the
bayou, and 111 a few hours the tide
came In and they were completely
submerged. A wrecking outfit wns
hurried to the scene, but It could do
but little, -as the causeway, which
was damaged by tho wreck, refused
to support the weight of the outfit
and any load added to It by tackling
upon the cars.
The accident was due to a rail
"turning In." It appears that the rail
which was the outside one on the right
hand slile must have been nut of
plumb affout an eighth of an Inch.
Tho. shnrp flange of the electric car
caught this and twisted It . Inward.
This twist threw the first car off the
track and into the water. The first
car dragged the second and third
cars after It. While the third car
was descending the rear portion
struck a piece of abutment and hung
there for a short time before sliding
Into the water. This brief stop snved
several lives.
The accident wns witnessed by
many people and the rescue work was
prompt. Strong swimmers endeav
ored to dlvo Into the submerged cars
but the tide was running too strong.
Professional divers were then secured
but they were equally powerless.
Enumerating tho Fatalities.
Atlantic City, Oct. 29. The latest
estimates of the dead Is 80. Nearly
60 bodies have been recovered.
Divers Recovering Bodlcn.
Atlantic City. Oct. 29. As the bod
ies arc removed they are held for
Identification and all effects placed In
numbered packages with correspond
ing numbers on the bodies.
The exhnusted divers were forced to
give up at daybreak, and others are
going down.
The bridge Is unable to withstand
the weight of the sunken enrs and the
derricks are trying to lift them out.
The effort to rnlse the cars has been
abandoned, and ail energy bent to
ward recovering bodies. When .all
are removed the cars will be broken
Up nnd dragged ashore.
LEGISLATIVE EXCURSION TO
W
State Jute Plant at Walla Walla
Weston Special Objects of
Governor Clmmberlnln and Party of Lcgislutois anil Citizens Will Leave
Pendleton nt 9 O'clock Tiiedny Morning Over O. R. & X. After In
spectlon of Jute Plant and Luncheon at Walla Walla, the Party Will
Leave There at 1:80 for Weston After Insiectlon of Weston Normal,
the r.irly Will Return to Pendleton on SKkane Train at 5:35- Ban
quet in Pendleton Tomorrow Evening.
Tomorrow morning, Tucsduy, Octo
ber 30, at 9 o'clock, Governor Clinin
bcrliiln, the me in hers of the Oregon
legislature ami citizens of Umatilla
unit other eastern Oregon counties,
will leave this city for Walla Walla
ami Weston, over the Walla Walla
branch of tlie O. R. & X. for the pur
pose of visiting the Washington jute
mill at Wulla Walla and the Weston
state normal school.
The party will leave on the regular
SMkaue train Xn. S, at 9 o'clock, ar
riving at Wulla Walln at 10:50.
After lnscctliiit the jute plant at
the) stato ixnUentiury and luncheon at
Walla Walla, the party will return by
special ti n in, leaving the O. It. & X.
depot nt Walla Walla at 1:30. Tlie
c( lal n .On Itenrlug the party will
reach Weston about 3 p. m., where
the special coaches will be set out
allowing nil Inspection of Weston nor
mal until 4:45, when the party will be
brought to Pendleton by the regular
SMiknw train. Xo. 7, arriving In Pen
tilt-ton at 5:35.
Governor Cliumlierlaui ami the vis
iting members of the legislature will
nv SW-ts at a banquet tendered by
Dm- business men and Commercial ns-
sorluiioii at Hotel Pendleton, tomorrow
evening.
Welcome to Eastern Oregon.
Gentlemen of the Oregon legisla
ture. In assembling In Informal ses
sion In Pendleton for the purpose of
considering questions vital to the wel
fare of our great state, you are par
ticipating In what the East Oregonlan
believes will be considered a histori
cal event m the storv of Oregon.
Tuesday, October 30. 1906. which
date you are to honor with your pres
ence in eastern Oregon, will be treas
ured In the history of this section of
the tnte as cue of the milestones of
progress.
Pendletdn, TTmatllla county, eastern
Orepon, greet von. welcome you in
that cordial spirit which has' made
the hand-clasp of the sagebrush sec
tion proverbial the state over.
The people of eastern Oregon ap
predate jour coming. They feel a
cinsclous pride In their great section,
much of .vhlch has been reclaimed
from the mt.et- uninviting wilderness
which ever ha-ussed the pioneer, and
that the Members of the legislature
should come In person to Investigate
greot questions of legislation and
public welfare arlrtng primarily ,1n
the wheat and livestock counties of
eestem Oregrn, gives the people of
this sectlcn a more profound Interest
In state development and a clearer
view of the purpose and Intent of the
legislature.
Xc?d of a Jute Mill.
In your Investigations of tho Walla
Walla Jute plant, you are invited to
remember first that Umatilla county
alone, used over 2.000.000 wheat sacks
this year, for which her farmers were
forced to pay from 10 to 11 cents
each.
In the state of Washington the
farmers paid but 6i cents each for
the same quality of sacks, manufac
tured by the state Jute plant at Walla
Walla.
Umatilla county farmers alone paid
out in round numbers J200.000 for
2,000.000 wheat sacks while Washing
ton farmers paid but $130,000 for the
same number, or In other words the
state Jute plant In Walla Walla saved
the farmers of Washington $70,000
on 2.000.000 sucks, the number used
In Umntllla county.
At least 6,000,000 wheat sacks weVe
used In Oregon thlB year, for which
Oregon farmers were forced to pay
the sum of $600,000, or nn average of
10 cents each.
The amo number of sacks made by
the Washington state Jute plant cost
the farmers of Washington but $390,-
OtIO at 6 ',4 cents each, or $210,000 less
than Oregon tnrmers were forced to
pay.
This means that tho Jute trust took
$?10.00n from Oregon farmers unjust
ly this year. This sum would be suf
WESTON
and State Normal School at
Study and Inspection.
ficient to establish a large Jute plant
at the Oregon penitentiary.
The Walla Walla Jute Plant.
Gentlemen, In your Investigation of
the Walla Walla Jute plant, you will
find some interesting features and the
East Oregonlan presents In -a con
densed form some valuable Informa
tion concerning it secured from W. Hi
Mead, the capable and 'gentlemanly
superintendent of the plant.
The Walln Walla Jute plant was es
tablished in 1S92, at an Initial cost of
$130,000, out improvements nnd new
machinery have been added until It
now represents an outlay of $175,000.
It is operated by electricity now, but
for a number of years It was operated
by steim. The installation of elec
tricity ha& reduced the cost of opera
tion considerably, but this question
would not enter Into the establish
ment of a plant at Salem since the
state could secure electric power very
cheaply there.
The daily output of the Walia Walla
jute plant when running full capacity
10 hours per day employing 200 men,
is 7000 wheat sacks, or 8500 yards of
burlap.
The price of racks Is fixed by th
state boar3 of control. This year. '
(19C6) the price of sacks manufactur
ed in Walla Walla was but 6Vi cents
each, while the market price was
from 10 to 11 cents for the same qual
ity of sacks.
With Jute at $18.34 per bale of 40
pounds, and sacVs at 6 "4 cents each,
the state of Washington made a clear
profit this year of 1 cent per sack,
or $70 per day on 7000 sacks, the
average daily output.
Onlng to the Jute trust which hat
recently ben formed the price of raw
Jute has oetn advanced from S1S.34
per bale of 400 pounds to $27 per
bale, which will be the price for the
next year.
The tariff on jnte Is 7-8 of a cent
per pound and 15 per cent d valo
rum. The tariff charges on a bale
of 400 pounds and costing $27, are as
follows: At 7-S of a cent per pound.
$3.50; 15 per cent ad valorum on 27.
$4.05; total tariff charges. $7.55 per
bale. There Is no tariff on manu
factured sacks.
The WaMu Walia Jute plant manu
factures not only wheat sacks and
tivlne. but wool sacks, hop cloth and
kiln cloth, all of which are used in
Oregon in enormous quantities in the
wool and hop Industry
The Walla Walla Jute plant consists
of 75 looms, and each operator Is ex
pected to turn out 100 yards of cloth
In 10 hours, although this average Is
not maintained during the season.
During the 13 years in which the
Walla Walla plant has been in oper
ation there has not been an outbreak
or riot nrnong the convicts In the
plant. F rom 200 to 275 men are em
ployed there continually.
Owing to the advance In the prlco
of raw Jute from $18.34 to $27 per
bnle. it Is thought the state of Wash
ington will be forced to Increase the
price of sacks next year from 6H
cents to perhaps 7V4 cents to meet the
Increased cost of Jute and maintain
the Jute plant on a profitable basis.
Owine- also to the trust in the Jute
Indo-try It Is very probable that the
price cf sacks, manufactured by the
trust will be as high next year as this,
with the output very much restricted
on account of the Incrense In the
wheat producing area of the world.
Canada alone adding several million
acres to the total area this year.
Crccnn's Xccd of a Jute Plnut.
Three great Industries of Oregon,
wheat growing, hop growing ami
wool growing, demand relief from the
Jute trust. Three-fourths of the mem
bers of the Oregon legislature repre
sent sections of the state where one
or n.ore of these great industries pre
dominate end therefore are directly
Interested In furnishing relief to their
constituents.
The contract with the stove foundry
people wiil soon terminate nnd the
Inbor of tlie Oregon convicts, or such
(Continued on page 8.)
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