CORVALLIS GAZETTE QaaatU PuNlblng Co. CORVALLIS OREGON NEWS OF THE WEEK In a Condensed Form for Busy Readers. Our A Resume of the Less Important but Not Less Interesting Events of the Past Week. The senate will not increase the Co lumbia river appropriatons. Joseph W. J. Lee has been named for consul general at Panama. The Panama canal commissioners have violated the law in buying sup- plies without advertisements public for bids. George S.Boutwell, of Massachusetts, formerly secretary of the treasury, is dead. Peisants are joining in the strike movement in Poland and are burning saloons. The Russian officers who broke their parole have been ordered back to San Francisco. The final settlement of the Klamath irrigation scheme has been postponed until April. . : 1 The Russian government has adopted strong measures to keep the railways in operation. The Russian Third Pacific squadron has passed Cherbourg, France, on its way to the Far East. Gorky, the priest strike leader, has been released and re-arrested, to be ex iled from St. Petersburg. Eleven persons were killed and more than 50 others injured, some probably fatally, by the collapse ot a floor in New York colored church. V Tuesday, February 21. The house today passed the Philip pine tariff bill, practically as ' it came from the committee. The river and harbor appropriation "bill "was then taken tip but it was soon laid aside and several measures were passed, the most important of which was the authoriza tion given the secretary of war to return to the several states the Union and Con federate battleflags. The senate committee today reported that it would be impossible to act on the railroad rate bill at this session without ignoring the railroads. Con sideration of the Indian appropriatoin bill was begun. A short time was given to the defense of Judge Swayne, and the senate began the consideration of the bill for the government of the isthmian canal zone. Wednesday. February 22. Government ownership of railroads as discussed by the senate today in connection with the purchase of the Panama railroad, while the bill for the government of the canal zone was under consideration. Consideration of the bill was not completed when the senate adjourned. A number of witnesses were exam ined in behalf of Judge Swayne in the impeachment proceedings against him. After a brief but spirited debate the house today sent back to conference the army appropriation bill. All sen ate amendments were again disagreed to, excepting one appropriating $95,- 000 for continuing the cable from Valdez to Seward, Alaska. Starvation Alaska. threatens Fairbanks, Thursday, February 23. . Without a dollar being added or sub tracted the river and harbor, appropria tion bill passed the house today,, after the session had run well into the even ing. The total amount carried by the bill is $17,234,657. It was impeded by the offering of amendments, but only those presented by the committee were adopted. The last testimony in the interest of Judge Swayne in the impeachment against him , was today presented to the senate. The bill providing a form of govern ment for the Panama canal zone was passed early in the day. Secretary Taft will speak at the Lewis and Clark fair. Oil men of several states have united to fight the Standard Oil company. Northwest senators have asked an in crease in river and harbor appropria- tions. Automobiles are to race from the At alntic coast to Portland for the Lewis and Clark fair. A big ice gorge has carried out Union Pacific railroad bridge on Loup river, at Columbus, Nebraska. St. Louis financiers are interesting capital for the construction of an elec trie road from St. Louis to Kaansas City. What is believed to have been Paul Jones' body has been found by the searchers in the old St. Louis cemetery. in Paris.. The secretary of state has received for presentation to President Roosevelt a large photorgaph of the empress dow ager, of Chin. The Japanese have captured a Rus sian position of importance after an awful battle. The losses of both sides will reach into the thousands, but it is believed the Japanese lost the most men. It is believed that Judge Swayne will be acquitted. John D. Long says the Monroe doc trine is carried too far. The blockade of Vladivostok is now complete, but food is not scarce. King Edward favors Irish liberty as a step to Anglo-American alliance. The cazr has yielded to the railroad strikers and traffic will be resumed, Norway threatens to dissolve her union with Sweden and establish a re public. The greatest battle of the war has begun in Manchuria, the Japanese out flanking the Russians. The bill dividing Oregon into two judicial districts has been killed and similar Washington bill passed. Dr. Louis Wilcoxson, who was charged with having a United States bond, stolen 20 years ago from the Manhattan bank, has been released on $10,000 bail, and will now seek for S W. Millecr, from whom he obtained the bond. Fire broke out in the New York ju venile asylum, but all the 1,200 child ren were taken out in 15 minutes and the flames were soon extinguished. Riots at Baku, Russia, have caused 1,000 deaths, and twice as many were wounded. Railroad strikes have cut off Poland and all southwestern Russia from the rest of the world. Following an operation for appendi citis, Sidney Dillon Ripley, the finan cier, is critically ill at his home in New York. , The state assembly of Wisconsin has passed a bill prohibiting the sale of giant firecrackers and other dangerous explosives. Twenty-one buildings in the heart of Cape May Courthouse, the county seat of Cape May county, N. J.f were de stroyed by fire. . It - seems that .the decision of the North sea commission will let both nations down easily, not being a de cided report either way. DOINGS IN CONGRESS. AIMING AT MUKDEN Japanese Strike Decisive Blow at Main Position. AT LEVEL OF SEA. OYAMA ORDERED TO ADVANCE Must Act Before Snow Melts May Attempt to Isolate Vladivostok At Same Time. Friday, February 24. The time of the senate today was divided between the Swayne impeach ment trial and the motion of Beveridge' to appoint conferees on the joint state hood bill. It is the expectation that a vote on the Swayne . matter will be reached Monday. No agreement was reached in the appointment of state hood conferees. A resolution was introduced in the house directing the attorney general to proceed against the armor plate trust. A number of pension bills from the senate were considered, altogether 125 being passed. Four hours was given to the sundry civil appropriation bill Tokio, Feb. 28. .following the cus tom of the Japanese government, the officials at the war office refuse to dis cuss the present movements in Man churia, but there is a general air of confidence among the higher officers, who are absolutely posted on the situa tion, which is believed to indicate that General Kuroki has again scored a com plete success and that official announce' ment may be expected very soon. Up to midnight Monday no particu lars of the fighting had been given out, but it was stated that, so tar as was known, only the right and center of Marshal Oyama's army had been engag ed and that the conditions on the left are unchanged. It is the general opinion among the best informed experts in the Japanese capital that the present movement, be fore it ends, will result in the capture of Mukden. - It is known that orders have been sent to Field Marshal Oyama, telling him that the time is ripe for taking the Russian main position, as, if action is postponed much longer, the spring thaws with their resultant floods will be upon him and it will be im possible to do any fighting until the roads dry up. There is, of course,a possibility that the present movement may have for its object, as well as the capture of Muk den, the isolation of Vladivostok. In view of the recent, reports that the port was being blockaded by sea by a Japan ese squadron of torpedo boats and pro tected cruisers, there can be , little doubt that, if Kuroki crushes the Rus sian left, such troops as can be spared will be assigned to a special campaign against the Siberian stronghold. FOR PHILIPPINE FREE TRADE Saturday, February 25. The house today divided its time be tween legislation and patriotic exer cises. An hour and a half was spent in passing minor bills. The same period was devoted to the sundry ap propriation bill, without reaching conclusion. Legislation then gave way to speeches by several members honor ing the memory of Houston and Aus tin ; when the marble statues of each, given by the state of Texas, were accepted. borne sharp criticisms of the presi dent's policy towads Santo Domingo and in enlarging the navy was indulged in today by senators on both sides during the debate on the naval appropriation bil. A vote on the Swayne impeachment case will be taken Monday. ' Panama Canal Commission's Plans for . : ' i' Isthmian Waterway. Washington, Feb. 28. The first defi nite enigneering plans for the construc tion of the Panama canal have just been laid before the Isthmian canal commission by the engineering comit tee of that body, consisting of Com missioners Burr, Parsons and Davis. The principal recommendations are summed up in this resolution: Resolved, That this committee ap prove and recommend for adoption by the commission a plan for a sea-level canal, with a bottom width of 150 feet and a minimum depth of water of 35 feet, and with twin tidal locks at Mira- nores, whose usable dimensions shall be 1,000 feet long and 100 feet wide, at a total estimated cost of $230,500,000. "Such estimates include an allow ance for administration, engineering, sanitation and contingencies, amount ing to $38,450,000, but without allow ance for interest during construction, expense of zone government and collat eral costs and water supply sewers or paving of Panama or Colon, which last items are to be repaid by the inhabi tants of those cities." The committee estimates that a sea- level canal can be completed within 10 or 12 years from the present time. . These recommendations are the con clusion of a report to the committee prepared in the canal zone under date of Febraury 1 last, and based on com plete engineering reports on all of. the problems involved.' The committee decided that, under no circumstances, should the surface of the canal be more than 60 feet above the sea, and estimates that this level the cost would be $178,013,06. A 30- foot level is estimated to cost $19,213,-406. MINERS LOSE LIVES. OREGON STATE ITElfOF INTEREST NO' STATE FAIR THIS YEAR. Attorney General Says State Funds Cannot be Used for Race Meet. Salem "No state fair can be held in 1905," declares Attorney General Crawford, in anwser to an inquiry from the state fair board. The legislature at its recent session passed an act author izing and directing the state fair board to expend the annual appropriation of $10,000 for improvements in 1905, and relieving the board from holding an ex hibit in that year. The fair board, however, was anxious to hold a fair this year and sought to find authority therefor in section 4138 of the code, making it the duty of the board to hold "an annual fair or exhi bition," which section has not been repealed. The attorney general holds that, al though this section has not been re pealed, expressly or by implication, the legislature has suspended the hold ing of the fair for one year. He also holds that the annual appropriation of $10,000, together with the additional $5,000 appropriated by the legislature, must be used for improvements at the fair grounds during the year 1905, and that any sum not so used will revert to the general fund. In conclusion Attor ney Vieneral Urawlord says there is nothing "to prevent the board from holding a race meet in lauo, but none of the state appropriation can be used for that purpose. House Committee Reports in Favor of Curtis' Tariff Bill. Washington, Feb. 28. Chairman Paine, of the house ways and means committee, today filed a report favor ing the passage of the Curtis bill .pro viding for the free entry of products from the Philippine islands, except sugar and tobacco, on which. 25 per cent of the Dingley tariff is to be col lected. The report declares that ' the enly logical result of our possession" of the islands is free trade. It has been definitely settled, it says, that we will retain the islands until their population is fitted for self-government, and he repeats Secretary Taft' s suggestion that this will be at least one generation. Until the treaty stipulation between the United States and Spain shall expire in 1909, all tariff advantages given by the islands to the United States must be given to Spain, and for that reason reciprocal free trade is not feasible. The present bill, says the report, goes as far as is practicable under ' these consditions FOUR SENATORS EXPELLED. Twenty-Three Killed in West Virginia Mine Explosion. Bluefield, W. Va., Feb. 28. As a result of an explosion in shaft No. 1 of the United States Coal and Coke company, at Wilcoe, today, 23 miners are supposed to have losx their lives, and it is possible that the number will exceed this. Up to 8 p. m. 15 bodies had been taken horn the shafts. A large rescu ing party is in the mines tonight. It is barely possisible, but not likely, that some of the remaining entombed min ers will be rescued alive. The explosion was of terrific force, and shattered windows a mile, distant Immediately after the shock great num bers of miners, who were, off duty, rushed to the shaft to find great clouds of smoke and dust gushing from its mouth. Mothers, children and other relatives soon were weeping and plead ing for the rescue of those dear to them entombed in the mine. The officials of the mine were soon on the scene. ,f The company usually work in this shaft about 75 miners, but today the men were not all in, and the small loss of life can be attributed only to this fact. VICTORY IS BARREN. Monday. February 27. Charles Swayne, district judge of the Northern district of Florida, was today acquitted by the senate of all-12 ar ticles of impeachment against him. President Roosevelt's policy of build ing up a great navy came in for more criticism today in the senate when the naval appropriation bill was under con sideration. The bill was passed, carry ing appropriations of $100,300,000. The house agreed to the conference report on the army appropriation bill. The sundry civil appropriation bill was passed, carrying $45,272,280. Warships Bombard Rebels.' Constantinople, Feb. 24. Extremely alarming reports are current , here con cerning the situation at Batoum and Poti. It is alleged that some vessels of the Black sea squadron (Russian) have bombarded Poti. An English merchant who has just arrived " here says he was obliged to flee from Ba toum, where his life was menaced by strikers and his office destroyed. This merchant says the authorities of Ba toum are powerless. The strikers are all Georgians, and are estimated to number 40,000. Result of Bribery Investigation in the California Legislature. Sacramento, Cal., Feb. 28. C-owded galleries and lobbies this afternoon watched a dramatic scene when Senat ors Bunkers, French, Wright and Em mons were expelled from the state sen ate of Ualilornia by a vote which con tained no dissenting voice. Bunkers', case was first to be considered. Thirty- four brother senators supported the re port of the investigating committee that he be put out. No one-voted for him He was not present. The report ot the committee recom mending expulsion ot all lour was adopted by 35 votes to 0, the four cused sentaors and Senator Walch voting. .Expulsion balltots then lowed separately. Rumors of Great Events. St. Petersburg, Feb. 24. A second day has passed without dispatches hav ing been given out from General Kuro- patkin, which is interpreted to support the rumors that great events are in progress in Manchuria. The war office, however, steadfastly maintains that there is no important news and that there have been no developments since the last dispatches made public, in which the commander-in-chief re ported all quiet. Extra Session of Senate. Washington, Feb. 24. The president today issued a proclamation convening the senate in special session at 12 o'clock noon on March 4 next, to "re ceive such communications as may be made by the executive. GRAIN OUTLOOK GOOD. i No Damage Done by Cold in Grand Ronde and Acreage Large. La Grande Up to the present pros pects for the ' largest grain crop ever raised east of the Blue mountains are most flattering in the Grand Ronde. The late cold spell did not do the slightest damage to any of the fall sown grain, which is looking excellent Since the passing of the cold wave the Grand Ronde has been having ideal weather. Farmers in the valley are overhauling their agricultural imple ments with the intention of doing a. greater amount of. plowing than ever. Ground both in the Grand Ronde and Wallowa valleys is in excellent condi tion, owing to the abundant rainfall during the winter months, the acreage in 1905 will far exceed that of any pre vious year. Not only in cereals, but also in sugar beet cultivation will the acreage be increased. G. W. Buckman, one of the prosper ous farmers in this valley, will plant 200 acres in beets. He will also put in 2,000 acres in wheat, and will do all his plowing by steam this season. ac not fol- Anti-Trust Law Sustained. Washington, eb. 28. The supreme court of the United States has decided the case of the National Cotton Oil company vs. the state of Texas, involv ing the Texas anti-trust law. The state court found the company guilty under that law and held that it had forfeited its right to do business in the state, The case was appealed to the supreme court on constitutional grounds. That court, however, in its opinion today, held that the claim was un tenable and sustained the verdict of the court below. Russians Were Able to Retire from Position in Good Order. Tokio, Feb. 28. The reports that are arriving from the front indicate that the severe engagements of the last few days are the prelude of what now seems will prove one of the bloodiest battles of the war. A large portion of General Kuroki s army has been engaged since Thursday, and the latest reports indi cate that the fighting still continues with the advantage on the side of the Japanese. The capture of Beresneff by the Jap anese, while a brilliant exploit, was practically barren of results, in that the Russians were enabled to retire in good order, and concentrate at Tzenti pass, which is now being attacked. According to the latest reports from the front that the public is permitted to have access to General Kuroki's col umn has been heavily reinforced, es pecially with artillery, and many of the siege guns of heavy caliber which were used by the Russians at Port Ar thur, and fell into the hands of General Nogi's men after the fall of the Gib raltar of the East," are now being trained against General Kuropatkin's forces. Troops Moving Slowly. London, Feb. 28. The correspondent at St. Petersburg of the Times says that the government is making concessions to the railway men and placing the railways under martial law with a view to expediting the transportation of troops to the Far East. The South rifle brigade, which left Odessa two months ago, is still near Omsk. The latest units ordered for service include some 25,000 men and 48 guns from Caucasian garrisons. They cannot reach General Kuropatkin before April, at the earliest. SNOW COVERED WASCO FIELDS Only Damage to Wheat is Along the Columbia River. The Dalles From reports farmers make, Wasco county has withstood the recent cold better than almost any oth er section of Eastern Oregon. During the cold weather snow covered all grain fields, with the exception of those in the extreme north part of the county, hence very little,.. it any, damage, was done fall grain in the principal wheat section of the county. Along the Co lumbia river the snow had melted be fore the freeze came, and in that section grain has been more or less injured, and reseeding will be necessary. On Tygh ridge and about Dufur, the most extensive grain growing section, the damage is nominal, and only isolated instances will reseeding be required Where the snow has gone off since the freeze grain is of good color and thrifty and bids fair to make an excellent crop New Grants Pass Iron Foundry, Grants Pass Two carloads of ma chinery have arrived here for the new Grants Pass Iron and Steel works, the enterprise that has become a necessity by the rapid growth of the mines and the demand for mining machinery and castings. Local people are backing the enterprise, and it will be the largest foundry and machine shop in the state south of Portland. The huge planing machine, turning lathes and drill press. capable of handling the largest -castings or shaftings, are among the consign ment and are being unloaded. A five- ton and three-ton cupola will handle the casting for the foundry. Contracts to Sell Wool. Pendleton Kil Kenney, who resides southwest of here, has contracted his wool for this year to Zack Brown, the hide dealer of this city, receiving 13 cents a pound for the clip. The wool comes from the Sandy district, and, al though the price seems small for this year's crop, it is an advance of 3 cents over last year and is a good figure Mr. Kenney is one of the few of the county who have contracted, as the greater number of the sheepmen desire to hold, believing that the price will ad vance even more than it has. Passes Taken by Japanese. Mukden, Feb. 28. The Russians re port that the Japanese are m posses sion of Taling, and also the pass be tween Taling and Katouling. The pos session of Taling threatens Fusharnk, Tieplmg and Hiegesway. Taling is re garded as of the same consequence to the Japanese in their operations against Mukden as was Motienling in relation to Liao Yang. In case the Japanese push on to the southeast, their operations will be in the hills, Prince of Wales to Visit India. London, Feb. 28. It has been offi cially arranged that the prince and princess of Wales shall visit India in November. and stay until March, mak ing a tour of the principal cities and native states, receiving the chiefs and princes on behalf of King Edward, who, after consultation with the vice roy, has directed that for - this occasion the exchange of ceremonial presents shall be dispensed with. Consequently no presents will be accpted. Deacons Await Their Prophet. Mexico City, Feb. 28. Prophet Dowie, of Zion City, is expected to ar rive here tomorrow from Cuba. His Anti-Salt Trust Measure Killed Tope&a, JeD. 28. a house concur rent resolution calling for an investiga- five deacons now here refuse to talk on tion of the salt trust was defeated by a the Zionist's plans, but it is understood vote of 57 to 19. It was necessary for a Zionist colony will be settled in the the resolution to receive a two-thirds hot country, and devote itself to raising vote, or 63 votes. - I sugar cane, coffee and other products Cougars Destroying Stock. Cottage Grove Cougars are quite numerous in the mils west oi this place. A few farmers have reported combined loss of $140 in the last few months and numerous goats and sheep have been disappearing for the past month. Several cougars have been killed this winter, and if there was bounty for the killing this part of Lane would furnish its share of the beasts Where a cougar turns his attention to goats, he often "gets away" with about two a day. RICHER THAN FIRST REPORTED, Strike in Bohemia Mine Improves on Further Development. Cottage Grove The strike in the Crystal Consolidated mine in Bohemia, . made over a month ago, of six feet of ore, partly free milling and partly base, has greatly improved since then. The drift has been extended some 25 feet and the ledge now shows seven feet of solid ore. The ore is high grade. Test were made on the ore at the time of the strike and assayed $54 per ton, car rying copper, lead and zinc. One of the miners just arrived from there reports that the ore is now much; better than it was given when the test was made. The company is getting; everything ready to start its stampmill as soon as the weather will permit,, probably April 1. The object of mill ing this ore is to reduce it to concen trates, whioh will probably be 4 to 1, and separate the copper, lead and zinc on their concentrators. The concen trates will then be shipped to smelters where that class of mineral is treated. Another Independent Line. Chemawa Poles have been set and wires strung for the Chemawa farmers' telephone line. A stock company has been formed and incorporated and the members of the association have done the construction . work among them selves. An agreement has been entered into with the Pacific States telephone company on terms that will assure the subscribers of the system very reasona- be rates. They now have about 30 phones on the system, which taps one of the best suburban districts of the capital city, and will mean an increase of business for several Salem firms. New Telephone Line March 5. Pendleton The change from the old style telephone system to the central energy system will be completed by the 5th of March, when the "cut over will be made. Under present circumstances the old telephones may be used with the new board, which has been planed in position, but the new instruments will not work with the old board. The new instruments are a great improveent over the old ones in appearance, being: much smaller. The battery box is dis pensed with and the electricity generat ed at the central office. x Peach Crop Injured by Cold. Milton S. . Shields, commission merchant here, says that on his inves tigation and inquiry from others the peach crop for the coming year has been seriously injured by the recent severe cold snap. He estimates that there will be half a crop or better. The va rieties most injured are' the Elberta, Solway and the late Crawford. Other varieties seem to have fared better. Other kinds of fruits seem to have es caped. Almond Trees in Bloom. Grants Pass Almond trees are in bloom in Grants Pass, the warm weath er of the past month having brought them out several weeks earlier than usual. Peach trees are also ready to burst into bloom, and will be in full blossom within the next ten days. The bloom is very heavy on the ' almond trees, and if no't nipped by late frosts, the crop of almonds from Southern Ore gon will be good this season. Will Open Seed House. ' Pendleton S. H. Forshaw, the flor ist, has leased the Despain building on Alta street, formerly occupied by , D. Kemler with a grocery store, and will open a seed room, handling also cut flowers and nursery stock.- Purchases Large Sheep Ranch. Pendleton Joseph Dougherty ha sold his interest in the firm of Dough erty Brothers to his brother Patrick, and has purchased Cass Matlock's farm over the Morrow county line, together with his sheep. The farm consists of several thousand acres, and the price paid was $15,000, including 2,200 shee. Patrick Dougherty will con tinue the raising of sheep on the ranch formerly held in joint partner ship. To Enlarge Mill at Weston. Weston J. J. Morton, of Weiser, Idaho, has purchased the flouring mill . of Frank Blair, Sr., Mr. Morton is going to enlarge and remodel the mill, which, when completed, will have a ca pacity of 50 barrels a day. He will have it in shape to commence on the new crop. The power will be steam, with water when Pine creek affords a sufficient supply. Grand Ronde Farm Sold. La Grande John S. Killan has pur chased a 240-acre farm west of Sum merville from J. F. Westover, paying $12,000, or $52.20 per acre. It is con sidered one of the first-class farms in. the Grand Ronde. PORTLAND MARKETS. Wheat Walla Walla, 85c; bluestem, 92c; valley, 87c per bushel. Oats Noil white, $1.351.40; gray, $1.401.45 per cental. Hay Timothy, $1416 per ton; 'over, $1112; grain, $1112; cheat, $1213. ' Eggs Oregon ranch, 1617c per dozen. ' Butter-Fancy creamery,27 )324c. Potatoes Oregon fancy, 7690c; common, 6065c. Apples 4-tier Baldwins, $1 .251 .50 ; Spitzenbergs, $1.752. Hops 1904, 2426c per pound. , Wool Valley, 1920c per pound; Eastern Oregon,. 1217c; mohair, 25 26eper pound for choice.