CORVA
GAZ1
WEEKLY.
rSuSr'&i8! ConsolldatedFeb. 1899.
COEVAIililS, BENTON COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1S01.
VOL. XXXVIII. NO. 30.
EVENTS OF THE DAY
FROM THE POUR QUARTERS
THE WORLD.
OF
A Comprehensive Review of the Important
Happenings of the Put Week Presented
in a Condensed Form Which Is Most
Likely to Prove of Interest to Our Many
Readers.
The steclworkers strike is on in
earnest.
Hamburg San Francisco liner Tanis
wrecked.
In the final trial Shamrock II beat
Shamrock I.
The drought . in most sections fo
the Southwest.has been broken. -
A sternwheel river boat will be
taken from Portland to St. Michaels.
Contract has been let for grading
15 miles of Vancouver, Wash., rail
road. ,
The Cuban republic will begin bus
iness with a national debt of only
$122,400.
A number-of failures have occurred
in Germany as the result of the Leip
ziger bank failing.
It is expected that there will be
40,000 Epworth Leaguers in attend'
ance at the convention in San Fran
cisco.
Seven hundred lives were lost and
terrible destruction wrought to prop
erty by the eruption of a volcano in
northern Java. '
' Except in small zones around . the
cities, Transvaal is far from pacified,
and British officers are becomming
discouraged at . the war's lack of
progress.
Famine threatens a large part of the
Russian empire, not a drop of rain
having fallen in the eastern provinces
for a month. Crops are already be
yond hope.
The steel workers' strike is now on
Two attempts were made to burn
Aberdeen, Wash.
Santos-Dument's airship tiial at
Paris was not successful.
The Perry monument was unveiled
at Kurihama, Japan.
The fall of the Bastile was cele
brated throughout France.
Lamont is slated to succeed Mellen
as president of the Northern Pacific.
The excess of exports over imports
last ' year was the greatest in our his
tory. ' . -
. A general strike . has been ordered
in sheet steel, steel hoop and tin plate
mills.
There is no prospect of immediate
relief from the drought in the middle
west. ... ' -r ... .
Kitchener may be . succeeded in
South Africa by General Sir Bindon
Blood. -.. .
Attempt to shoot a judge is the cli-
max of fishermen's strike on Fraser
river, B. C.
Washington bicycle tax law de
clared illegal . by Superior Judge Mil
ler, at Vancouver. -
Steyn, ex-president of the ' Free
State, narrowly escaped capture by
Broadwood s brigade.
Thirteen Polish students are on
trial at Posen, charged with belong
, ing to revolutinary societies.
The Congregational church at For
est Grove, Or,.- which was built in
1858, was burned. Incendiarism is
suspected.
A proclamation withdrawing about
500,000 acres from Olympic reserve,
W ashmgton, has been sent to Presi-
dent McKinley. '
Turkey pays the American claims
of $95,000.
Registeirne for Oklahoma lands
has begun.
Ohio Democrats have nominated
James Kilbourne for governor.
J. be salmon combine will be incor
porated in New Jersey with $32,000,
000 capital. - ;.-
E raser river, 15. O., hshermen say
they wl fight before , they will give
in to the Japanese.
The government has chartered the
steamship Palatinia to load at Port
and for the Philippnies. -
Sixteen persons are dead and 30
injured as a result of a' collision on
the Chicago & Alton near Kansas
City. -
Treasurer Hollander, of Porto Rico,
has resigned.
Cubans are ready for the adoption
of a constitution.
Chinese court still
honor for dead Boxers,
shows
great
Prince Christian, of Denmark,
coming to the United States.
A crazy man in Denver killed
woman and fatally stabbed a little girl
A Chinaman was lynched in a Call
forma lumber camp for assaulting
The Minnesota state building at the
Pan-American grounds has been dedi
cated. 1 -,. ;-. - .
Annie Dobbie, a young singer of
great promise in New York," is being
trained at the expense of Andrew
Carnegie. ' '
Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul
railroa officials approve the pension
and sick benefit system for their em.
ployes,'; to become effective in Sep
tember. - ; - - ' - .-r-:' - , . ...
UNION WON BATTLE.
Sixteen Japanese Taken Prisoners on rraser
Fight Between Fish Boats.
Vancouver, B. C, July 13. The
developments in the Fraser river
strike situation during the past 24
hours show the union fishermen have
the upper hand, having accomplished
coup d'etat which is without a par
allel in the history of the many labor
disturabncej in British Columbia. As
a result of a battle of small boats out
in the gulf a battle in which shots
were exchanged but in which no com
batant was killed, 16 Japanese were
taken prisoners by the strikers.- The
Japanese boats were overturned, the
rifles and fishing gear of the Orientals
thrown into the water, and the Japan
ese themselves taken to one of the
small islands away out in the gulf.
Exactly where this island is located
is a secret of the white fishermen, for
they chose it several weeks ago for oc
casions such as this. They say they
will continue to place non-union Jap
anese there for the remainder of tha
season, or until the place is discov
ered by the authorities. All that is
known is that the island is between
here and Nanaimo, 50 miles away,
and that it is hard to find. The Jap
anese will be given food every few
days and maintained comfortably,
although closely guarded until a set
tlement is reached or until their
island prison is located by the author
ities. : - .
Two provincial constables were out
in Japanese boats today "and effected
the arrest of six white fishermen. . .;
The Japanese held a big meeting at
Steveston and raised by voluntary
subscriptions $4,000 for . a Japanese
hospital, which they think ' may be
needed, and then discussed the salmon
catching situation. 1 Some were in
favor of joining the union men in the
strike especially as the run of salmon
had been small this season up to date.
The meeting broke up without definite
action.
This evening a big run of salmon
is reported as coming in from the
south. The canners think the union
men will not stand firm, in view of
the temptation to participate in their
catching. There is renewed talk this
evening of, turning out the militia.
Such a severe storm raged " at the
mouth of the Fraser river last night
that the union patrol boats, which
were to have attacked the Japanese
fishermen, were afraid to leave Stev-
enston. : The Japanese kept coming
during the night without fish. Five
Japanese are reported to have been
drowned.
OFF FOR BERLIN.
Prince Chaun Goes to Germany to Apologize
lor Murder of Baron von Ketteler.
Pekin, July 15. The departure
from Pekin of Prince Chuan, younger
brother of Emperor Kwang Hsu, who
has been selected formally to apolo
gize at Berlin for the murder of
Baron Von Ketteler, was a spectacu
lar event. : A train took Prince Chuan
and his suite from here to Taku, from
which port he will proceed by steamer
to Shaghai. lie will sail from Shang
hai July 20 for Genoa, and will pro
ceed directly from there to Berlin by
rail. Prince Chuan came to the sta
tion in Pekin on horseback, t He was
gorgeously attired in royal yellow, and
followed by a " long procession com
posed of members of his staff, their
servants and the luggage on cars.
Here he was met by the present Ger
man minister to China, Dr. Mumm
Von Schwarzenstein, a German mili
tary band and gaurd of honor and two
of his brothers. - 1
A committee- of the ministers of
the powers in Shanghai have agreed
on a scheme for improving naviga
tion in such a way as to allow Pacific
liners having a draught of 28 feet to
anchor at Shanghai, instead of 20
miles below. This improvement will
cost 750,000. It is probable that an
improvement of the navigation of the
Pei Ho as far up as Tien Tsin will be
incorporated as a condition of the
terms of peace. - .. -
M. W, Kockhill expects to sail from
Yokohama August 20, accompanied
by Hubbard T. Smith, United States
consul at Canton, and F. D. Cheshire,
who is retiring from his connection
with the United States legation,
chiefly as interpreter, after a quarter
of a century of service.
General Wood's Condition,
Washington, July 15. Acting Ad
jutant General Ward has received a
cable msesage from Major Scott, adju
tant (general oi the department of
Cuba, saying that General Wood's
condition is steadily improving. In
Old Warship Will Be Sold. "
Washington, July 15. The secre
tary of the navy - today : ordered " the
famous old Minnesota to be stricken
from the naval register. A board of
condemnation has just appraised her
at $15,000, and she will be sold at
public auction in Boston, ; where she
now lies. The Minnesota is one . of
the most noted vessels of the old
navy. She was built in Washington
in 1855.'. and was the flagship of . Ad
miral Goldsborough in the . famous
battle between the Merrimac and the
Union fleet in Hampton Roads, r
Carnegie Library for Leadville.
ieauvuie, uoio., . juiy .10. At a
meeting of the-- City library associa
tion a letter was read from the private
secretary of Andrew Carnegie, dated
from Skibo Castle, Scotland, stating
that -he would donate $1UU,UU0 for a
public library for this city, providing
that the city would furnish $Z,U0U a
year to maintain it. Z The offer of Mr.
Carneige was in response to an appeal
for aid from the association, : ;
NEWS OF THE STATE
.TEMS. OF INTEREST FROM ALL
V. PARTS OF OREGON.
Commercial and Financial Happenings of Im
portance A Brief Review of the Growth
and Improvements of the Many Industries
Throughout Our Thriving Commonwealth
Latest Market Report.
A severe drought is being felt in
the Silver Lake country.
Numerous bears have been seen in
the berry patches of Coos county.
Squirrels are bothering the wheat
growers in some part of Polk county.
Valley farmers have been using
lime to keep smut off their wheat,
and with good effect. ...,- '
The Eugene Lumber Co. has a
drive of 1,000,000 feet of logs coming
down the Willamette. z
A new ferry boat has been built and
launched for Hendricks crossing on
the McKenzie river, near Eugene. ;
A small fire destroyed 10 acres of
wheat for Herman Polk, and a culvert
on the W. & - C. E. Bailroad, near
Fulton station. . . "
Grasshoppers are reported to be
swarming the hills and valleys south
of Pilot Bock. Serious damage to
growing crops is antipipated. . -
The English patridges recently in
troduced into Linn county are doing
well. -Three broods of young ones
have been seen near the foot of Knox
butte, within a few miles of where
they were liberated, y
Valley farmers report an abundant
crop of Chinese pheasants this season.
There were many old ones which
escaped the hunter last fall and this
spring being favorable there are more
young pheasants than usual.
Mount Angel college is developing
a model dairy. -.; i -
The Climax mine in Grant county
is showing a large body of ore running
$11 to $28 to the ton.
C. J. Plumarth, of Ashland, sold
$lbO worth of strawberries this season
from a patch 100x100.
W. N. White, an English apple
ue ;ler has ' been looking over the
Southern Oregon orchards. -
Twelve thousand crates of strawber
ries were shipped from ' Milton this
season mostly to the mining districts,
The government rages in the Green
horn mountains are reported .. badly
overstocked with outside sheep from
Morrow and adjoining counties. ,
Many farmers in Nebraska, Kansas.
etc., are writing for locations in the
Willamette valley and Eastern Ore
gon. They want to get away from the
bugs, grasshoppers and hot winds.
The $1,000 appropriated by the
last state legislature for the improve
ment of the mineral springs at Soda-
rville is now being expended in num-
eorus much needed improvements, y-
The First Southern Oregon District
Agricultural Society will hold a fair
at Ashland, September 13-22. There
will be no racing, - but prizes will be
given for baseball and band contests.
Brome grass , is being extensively
used on the Eastern Oregon ranges to
replace the rapidly disappearing
bunch grass. It seems to flourish on
hard dry soils with a minimum of
moisture.
Portland Markets. - '
Wheat Walla Walla, export value,
55c per bushel ; - bluestem, . 67c;
valley, nominal.
Flour best grades, $2.903.40 per
barrel; graham,' $2.60. - ; -
Oats White, $1.321.35; gray,
$1.301.32K per cental.
Barley Feed, $1717.50; brewing,
$17 17. 50 per ton.
Millstuffs Bran, $17 per ton ; mid
dlings, $21.50; shorts, $20; chop, $16.
Hay Timothy, $12.50 14; clover,
$79.50; Oregon wild hay, $67 per
ton.- '-.-i--: '
Butter Fancv creamery, 18 20c ;
dairy, 1415c; - store, ll12o per
pound. -
Eggs 17 18c per dozen.
Cheese Full cream, twins, 11
I2c; i ou.ng America, 12$ldo per
pound. ;
Poultry Chickens, mixed,r $3.00
3.50: hens, $3.504.50; dressed, 10
11c per pound; springs, $2.004.00
per dozen ; ducks, $3 for old; $2.50
3.00 " for. young; - geese, $4 per
dozen ; turkeys, live, 8 10c ; dressed,
1012c per pound, .
v Mutton Lambs, - 3c,:- ;. gross;
dressed, ' 67e per pound; sheep,
$3.25, gross; dressed, 66Mc per lb.
Hogs Gross, heavy, $5.756;
light, $4.755; dressed, 67c per
pound. - . " .
Veal Small. 7 large, 6&
7Vc per pound. .
Beef Gross top steers, $4. 00 4. 25;
cow's and heifers, $3. 25 3. 50; dressed
beef, 67c per pound. ... ::, -.-
Hops 1214c per pound. '
Wool Valley, 11 13c ; Eastern
Uregon, oizc; mohair, ZUzlc per
pound. :. :-, --.'. ' . ' :
Potatoes $1.251.50 per sack ;new
potatoes, lMc per pound.
Boston will have a college for train
ing young women to earn a livlihood.
' An instrument has been perfected
at Dartmouth college to. measure the
heat of the stars. - ....
' An English syndicate is said to have
purchased control of 72 zinc and lead
mines in Missouri; : . .
The American Museum of Natural
History is to send an expedition to
China to study the life and customs
of the Chinese.
BUTTE HOTEL FIRE.
latdtaj Hostelry Burned Firemen Were Un.'
able to Locate Fire.
Butte, Mont., July 16. At 2:40
this morning a still alarm was turned
in from the Butte Hotel, a four-story
structure on Broadway. When the
firemen reached the scene -the build
ing was enveloped in smoke, which
appeared to pour from , every - open
window. The firemen were unable
to locate the fire for 30 minutes, and
the greatest confusion prevailed. A
number of guests on the lower floors
succeeded in groping their way down
stairs in the smoke, escaping with
nothing, but their night clothes.
Scores of others were rescued from
the upper windows, where the panic
stricken guests "shrieked for succor
and threatened to jump to the side
walk below.
At 4 o'clock the fire was completely
under control and the hotel manage
ment state that, to the best of their
knowledge, all the' guests and help
have been accounted for. There
were Jive injured. " The loss will
amount to $25,000.
COVERING UP WAR. MARKS.
Making the Chinese Emperor's Entry Into
' Pekin Pleasant
Pekin, July 16. The Chinese offi-
sials are making elaborate prepara
tions tor the emperor's entry into
Pekin. All evidence of the destruc
tion wrought by the war along the
streets to be traveled by- the emperor
will be temporarily disguised. ... Great
pagodas will be erected. . The Chen
Men gate, which was nearly demol
ished by the bombardment, will be
repaired' with wood and plaster,
painted to resemble stones, and the
damage to the walls and outer build
ings will be similarly masked.
Li Hung . Chang has deferred the
withdrawal of the - foreign " troops
from the temples and palaces not
later than August 15. The ministers
of the powers have acquiesced and
have notified the various commanders
of their decision. - The Americans
and British will probably camp near
the summer residences of the lega
tions in the western hills until their
barracks are completed. -
Guards of honor of Americans,
Germans,' Italians and Japanese escort
ed General Gaselee, the British com
mander, to the railway station-on . his
departure. . -. The . members of the
United States legation awaited him
at the station, together with repre
sentatives of all the other legations,
except the Russians.
$300,000 IN KLONDIKE GOLD.
About One-Third of Treasure Was Brought
Out by Four Women.
Seattle Wash., July 16. ,The
steamship Humboldt arrived this
morning from Skagway with 40 pas
sengers and $dU0,000 in Klondike
gold. .The treasure was distributed
between a dozen passengers from Daw
son . and varied in sums from $1,00(
to $62,000. These people left the lr
terior subsequent to July 4, and brin
news that three of the river steamers
are partly wrecked on '. the river be
tween Dawson and White Horse.
The Humboldt left Skagway July 9.
A strange feature concerning the
personnel of the Humboldt's Dawson
passengers is the fact that four women
possess about one-third of the treasure
which cameout on the steamer. :
Purser Shoup reports that consid
erable gold has been started down
the nver from Dawson and will come
out via St. . Michael and the ocean
route. Several large consignmnets
left Dawson after July 1, but the
exact amount is not known. - It will
be brought down on the Roanoke and
several of the other ocean steamers
from Nome.
BOAT BLEW UP:
Two Boys Killed and a Dozen Other Person,
Injured. ,
Sunburv, Pa., July 16. An excur
sion boat anchored in the Susque
hanna river at the , foot of Market
street, this city,, blew upvith terriffiff
force today, killing two boys and in
juring a dozen other persons, two
fatally. One man is missing and
may have been killed.
All the boys killed and lhiured were
fishing on a near-by wharf when ' the
explosion occurred.. r The engineer
was absent at the time, leaving the
boat in charge of the pilot. When
he left there was a pressure of 60
pounds in the boiler, and he says he
opened the firebox door. No cause
is given for the explosion. -
Ran Into a Meat Train.
Kansas City, July1 16. Soutl
bound passenger train No. 1, on the
Kansas City - Northern Connecting
Kan roaa, uue nere at 0:40 P.. M.,
collided with an extra Bock Island
meat train at the Bock Island cross
ing, one mile north of Weatherby,
Mo., at 3:15 this afternoon. .-, One
man was killed and four others se-
"verely injured. ; - -
Steamer Wenatchce Burned.
Wenatchee, Wash., July 16. Yes
terday morning about 2 o'clock the
steamer Wenatchee, of the Bailey ; &
O'Conner line, which had been taken
out of the water for repairs, took fire
and was totally destroyed.. - A watch
man sleeping on the lower deck barely
escaped with his life. All the effects
on the boat went up in smoke. Loss,
$4,500; insurance, $3,500.
STRIKE ABANDONED
CINCINNATI MACHINISTS WILL
RETURN TO WORK.
Strike Benefit Fund Became Exhausted, and
No Further Assistance Could Be Hoped
for From. National Headquarters Union
Officers Will Make No Statement San
Francisco Union Ready to Settle.
Cincinnati, July 15. The machin
ists'strike, which was organied May
20,and which involved from 5,000 to
7,000 employes in this city, has prac
tically been declared off. A secret
mass meeting of strikers was held to
day, at which a formal report was
made that it had been found to be im
possible to secure assistance in money
from the headquarters in Washing
ton, as the strike benefit fund is ex
hausted, and the strikers were advised
to return to work. Alreadv about 600
have applied for reinstatement, and
many more will do so in the next two
days. No official statement has been
made by the leaders of the strikers,
and they all refuse to be quoted, say
ing that they doinot care to do any
thing that might affect the injunc
tion proceedings against them, set
for hearing July 16. It is said that
the decision to return to work was not
unanimous, and that some men will
still hold out.
Situation at San Francisco.
San Francisco, July 15. The Iron
Trades council has received favorable
reports from the nine affiliated unions
on the question of giving the council
authority to effect a settlement of the
machinists' strike in the city inde
pendent of what is done in the East.
The council lias therefore appointed a
committe of five, with full power to
act, to meet the employers should
they agree to confer. The strike of
metal polishers has been declared off.
MORE'FIGHTING IN COREA.
Trouble Between Catholic Missionaries and
V '.:-: Pupils."
Berlin July 13. The Cologne Ga
zette published a dispatch from Seoul,
Corea saying that bloody conflicts
extending over, a period of 10 davs
have occurred on the Island of Quel,
part between Koman Catholic mis-
sionaries and their pupils and the
pupils are reported to have been killed
during the encounters. The gover
nor of Quelpart, according to the dis
patch, says the trouble was the fault
of the pupils, and arose from their
support of the tax collectors in levy
ing illegal taxes upon the natives.
Upon hearing that two Ffmch mis
sionaries had been killed upon the
island a French warship proceeded
to Quelpart. Upon finding the mis
sionaries alive, the warship returned.
The Corean -government has com
missioned Huan Junan and an
American court official to investigate
the matter, and is sending a company
of Corean infantry with them to
Quelpart Quelpart is in the Yellow
sea, - 60 ' miles south of Corea, to
which country it is subordinate. It
is a penal colony.
f CORN CROP PARCHED.
Kansas and Missouri Farmers Have Already
lost $50,000,000.
Chicago, July 15. Todays' advices
to the board of trade and grain com
misison firms are that the heat and
drought in the Southwest are un
broken.; It is said that the damage
outside of Kansas and Missouri is
comparatively slight, but that unless
there is relief within the next 10 days
the corn crop situation will approach
calamity.
A message irom . Topeka, Kansas,
says the prospects are for a crop of
but 50,000,000 bushels of, corn
although last year's crop was 163,
000,000, and that of the previous year
237,000,000 bushels. The loss of hay
and potatoes is also great, second only
to the loss of corn. It is estimated
that. the farmers of Kansas and- Mis
souri have already lost $50,000,000 by
the torridity and drought.
Oil Found in Oklahoma.
Guthrie, O. T., July 15. The peo
ple of Granite, O. T., are wild with
excitement over the discovery ""5T oil
near that town. The oil was found
at a depth of 107 feet, and spouted to
the surf acre in great quantities. The
company that .sunk the well will go
deeper in the hopes of developing
gusher. ,
-Posse of Sixty-Five. :-
Chinook, Mont., July 15. Sheriff
Benner, of Great Falls, and his posse
of 11 men left here this afternoon
for the Bear Paw Pool ranch, 16 miles
away, where horses will be furnished,
The Great Falls posse will be joined
by the possees from other counties,
making in all bi men. The party
will be equipped with good horses
and a plentiful supply - of provision
Sheriff Griffith apparently is absolute
ly confident that he has the Great
Northern robbers surounded on Peo
ple s creek, 75 miles distant.
Central American Storm. . T
- San Francisco, July 15. The Pa
cific Mail com pain 's steamer Newport
from - Panama and way ports reports
severe storms on the Central Ameri
can coast. At both Champerico and
Ocos she - was caught in a hurricane
and had to put to set on each occa
sion. Her anchor and 30 fathoms of
chain were ' lost. A number of
barges and lighters were driven
ashore and other damage done at both
places, but no lives were lost-
COMPLIED WITH DEMANDS.
China Suspends
Examinations for
Five Years;
Period of
New York, July 17. A dispatch
Irom Washington to the Herald says :
China has formally complied with
the demands of the powers that she
"suspend for five years all official ex
aminations in all . the cities where
foreigners have been massacred or
nave been subject to cruel treat
ment," but she has done it in such a
way as to rob the suspension of the
punitive character desired by the
foreign governments. The emperor
has issued an edict suspending the
examinations not only in the guilty
districts, but throughout the entire
country for a period' of five years.
Instead of- announcing that this is the
result of the ill treatment of foreign
ers, the edict explains that the em
peror desires to give the students in
every province an opportunity for an
entirely new and modern system of
examination.
The United States has not agreed
to the action looking to the advisa
bility of the foreign ministers in Pe
kin demanding that a special punish
ment be administered in those dis
tricts in which foreigners were out
raged. This - government is anxious
that the powers should retire from
China as promptly as possible. While
China has in the matter of examina
tions turned a difficulty, it is pointed
out that the others terms demanded.
are exceedingly rigorous, and it will
be difficult for the imperial govern
ment to comply with them and at the
same time preserve its prestige at
home.
TEXAS DROUGHT BROKEN.
Heavy Rainfall and High Wind at Dennison
- Storm Causes Little Damage.
Dennison, Tex" July 17. The
worst drought ever experienced in
this section was broken this afternoon
by a terrific rainfall of over two hours'
duration, the volume of rain being
almost equal to a cloudburst. The
storm was accompanied by a wind of
almost tornado force. .Reports indi
cate that the rain is general in this
vicinity. It has come just in the
nick of time to save the cotton crop,
It will benefit the fruit crop and fur
nish stock water, which had entirley
failed, causing much distress, and
will benefit lowland cotton.
lhe Southern M. JE. church, re
cently erected at a cost of $15,000,
was partially demolished, and a num
ber of small houses in the northern
portion of the city were wrecked.
Shade trees and window glass all over
the city were demolished.
A tornado is reported to have passed
over the Chickasaw Nation, but there
are no particulars here.
DEVASTATION IN JAVA.
Seven Hundred Persons Perished By a Sudden
Volcanic Eruption.
Tacoma, July 17. Oriental advices
give details of terrible destruction oi
human life that occurred in Northern
Java in May by the sudden and ter
rific coutburst of the volcano Kloet.
For 50 miles around all the coffee
plantations and other estates were
destroyed by showers of ashes and
stones, together with great streams
of lava and hot mud. Seven hundred
natives and a number of Europeans
perished. The lava also consumed
the superintendent of the estate and
about 25 coolies. Many coffee es
tates in the ' neighborhood were de
stroyed. The country around was
strewn with corpses.
Many protests are being made be
cause the Russian authorities at Port
Arthur are opening all letters to and
from the American . and European
residents there. . Nothing is permitted
to be sent out that contains any allu
sion to Russian military affairs oi
criticism of Russian methods.
CONCORD AT SEATTLE.
Gunboat Which Helped Destroy Spanish Fleet
in Manila Bay.
Seattle, July 17. The United States
gunboat Concord, Commander Harry
Knox, which played such an import
ant part under Commodore Dewey in
the destruction of the Spanish fleet in
Manila bay, May 1, 1898, arrived
from the Philippines by way of Dutch
Harbor, .Alaska. Qf the officers in
command of the vessel during the
memorable sea fight, but one, F. E,
Schute, paymaster s clerk, remains
on the ship. As to the force of ma
rines, but hve oi the uoncord s crew
at the time she turned her guns on
the Spanish battle ship are now on
her. .
Prairie Fire in Kansas. -
Lamed, Kan., July 17. A prairie
fire, which started 18 miles north of
this place, burned over a large area
of country yesterday afternoon and
destroyed 40,000 bushels of wheat.
' Incendiarism in San Francisco. -..
San Francisco, Juiy 17. A series
of fires early this morning indicate
that incendiaries were at work. Sta
bles were made the especial mark of
their torches. ; Twenty horses were
burned to death. The fires occurred
bv the same general neighborhood,
Ten Thousand Perons at EI Reno.
El Reno, O. T., July 17. The
trains today have ' been . bringing
moderate crowds for registration,
There are probably 10,000 people here,
and everything is quiet and orderly.
Every one is comfortably situated and
a large number more could be accom
modated. - The water is abundant and
every provision has been made to feed
and house the multitude. lhe tern
perature has. hung around the 100
mark. . -
THE STEIKE IS ON
BUT STEELWORKERS EXPECT A
SETTLEMENT SOON.
Seventy-five Thousand Men Have Walked On
From the Various Plants of the United
States Steel Corporation, and More Ar
Steadily . Joining Them Union Has Situ
ation Well In Hand.
Pittsburg, July 17. Reports re
ceived from all sources connected with
the great strike of the steel workers
today indicate that the members of
the Amalgamated Association have
matters well in hand and the strike
order was generally obeyed. Tele
grams from various points where the
mills of the American Tinplate Com
pany, the American Steel Hoop Com
pany and the American Sheet Steel
Company are located, tell of the shut
ting down of these plants in large
numbers. In many cases the plants
had been shut down by the first strike
order, which, affected the sheet steel
and steel hoop companies only. The
order last night brought out all union
plants of the American Tinplate
Company, with the single exception
of the new mill in Monessen, which
is still running. .
At tb.3 Amalgamated Association
headquarters it is stated that the
figures given out Saturday night re
garding the number of men who
would be actually idle in the mills of
the three companies have proved cor
rect. This number was placed at
74,000. Of the 74,000 men idle, 25,-
000 are in Pittsburg, 800 in Alle
ghany and 1,500 in McKeesport.
President Shaffer has it in his power
to close many more Pittsbrug mills,
but it is not thought that he will do
anything of a radical nature until he
is compelled to.
The American Steel Hoop Com
pany s supposedly non-union mill,
was closed this morning in all its
branches. The tie-up at this mill
was said to have been a surprise to
the millowners and officials in charge
of it. The plant known as the Lind
sey & McCutcheon mill in Allegheny
was shut down completely in the
puddling and bar mills. All the
skilled workmen refused to enter the
mill this morning and the company
did not even operate the five furnaces.
lhe finishing department of the mill
was working during the day, as the
men are not in the union, but it is
claimed by the workers that the em
ployes in that department will not
go to work in the morning.
While all the mills of the United
States Steel Corporation are included
in the general ti-up, the three com
panies mentioned are the hrst to be
attacked. What the next movement
will be the workers do not say. It is
announced tonight that the circular
letter which was expected to be sent
out. today calling on the men in the
mills of the Federal Steel Company,
the Naional Steel Company and the
National Tube Company toe ome out
will not be issued at present.
DYNAMITE CNECKED FLAMES.
Four Blocks of Business Houses Were Burned
at Enid.
Enid O. T. July 17. Four blocks
of business houses on the public
square were destroyed by fire in less
than three hours time by the hre
that started, after mmidnight last
night. The water supply was inade
quate, and it was necessary to blow
up buildings with dynaimte to check
the names. Owing to the continued
drought, everything burned like match
wood. A light wind blew from the
southesat, and saved the eastern part
of the town. The total loss is esti
mated at $190,000. The insurance
will be light.
The fire started in the two story
hotel building near the southeast
corner of the square, and spread quick
ly to the big hardware house on the
corner. Both buildings, with their
contents, were soon consumed. Th
fire bearing south destroyed a furni
ture'store, restaurant and hotel. Fol
lowing this in the path of the flames
was a furniture store, hotel, a butcher
Bhop in which $1,000 in cash was con
sumed and a carriage works. Then
going east it consumed another shop
and three small buildings. Here it
jumped across the street west and de
stroyed a wholesale house and a
hotel. The Armour Packing Co. s
big building was destroyed and the
entire block south of the square. The
firemen finally had to blow up several
buildings with dynamite.
. Better Mail Service for Alaska. '
Washington, July 17. The post-
office department has contracted for
an increase of the postal service in
Alaska that will provide quicker time
between Seattle and Circle City and
intermediate points and furnish a
direct steamboat service to Sitka.
The new contract calls for an addi
tional round trip every month between
Seattle and Circle City via Sitka and
Valdes, and the all-American overland
route. The schedule time is shorter
than ever before. The contract will
run from October 1 to June 30. ,
Cotton Injured by Drought
Ardmore, I. T., July , 17. Reports
from the cotton belt show that cotton
is being injured by the drought that
has prevailed in the Chickasaw Nation
for the past five weeks. Unless rain
falls within the next few days ciops
will be cut short. , About 60 per cent
of the corn crop has already been
ruined. There will be no marketable
corn. The crop of other grains is a
total failure, . . i