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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1890)
Oreg 1-11 GOUT. o VOL. VI. UNION. OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY , 1890. NO. 29. ON 'V The Oregon scout. An independent weekly Journal, issued ev ery Thursday morn Ins lv JOiVES & OHAKCEY, Publishers and Proprietor. , K. .J ONUS, Editor. )" , 15. ClIANCliY, Foreman. i:at::s or suissoiui'tiox: One copy, one yoar " fcix month- " " Three montos . . .?1..i0 . .. 1.00 . . . .7 lm.irlubly Cash In Advaiwe. by chance subtciiptions arc not ptid till end of year, two dutUirs will be chunjnl. llatci of advertising made known on ap plication. USQrCorrcspondcnco front all parts of the country solicited. Adress all communications to the Okkgo.n Scout, Union Oregon. PKESBYTKltlAX CHUKCH. Services every Sabbath at 11 a.m. and b p. in; babbath school at 10 a. in; prayer lucetiiij; Wednesday, at 8 p, in. The Ladies' Mi sionary boclety meets on the fourth Friday of every month at 2 :M p. m. All cordially invited. It. 11. l'AUKKll. Pastor I'KOFKsSSION'Al Tt. Eakin, J. A. Kakin, Notary Public. J E AKIN , & BROTHER, Attorneys at Law, Union, Oregon. CSfl'roinpt Attention 1'aid to Collect. ons. JOIIX R. CRITES, Attorney at Law. Collecting and probate practice special tios. Olliee, two doors south of post-olllce, Union, Oregon. W. Sueltox. J. M. Caiikoll, J HELTON &, CAIIKOLL. Attorney! at Office: Two doors south of posK-dice, Un ion, Oregon. Special attention given all business en trusted to us. r 11. CRAWFORD, Attorney at Law, Union, Oregon. Otliee, one door south of Centennial ho tel. 3. F. Wilson. Notary Public. A. .1. Hackktt, Notary I'ubhc LSON .t HACKKTT, Attorneys at Lav. Collections and all other business entrus ted to ns will receive prompt attention. A complete abstract of tho land of Union county in our olllce, Managersof theUNlON HEAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION. OFFICE: UNION, OK. J N. CROMWELL, M. J). , Physician :nui Surgeon. Olllce, one door outh of J. store, Union, Oregon. Q II. DAY, M. D,, HOMEPATIIIC Physician ami Surgeon. ALL CALLS l'ROMl'TLY ATTENDED TO. Office adjoining Jones IJro's store. Can bo found nights at residence in South west Union. L. DANFOKTII, M. D Physician and Surgeon North l'owder, Oregon, II I S K A S l: S OK W OMEN A 81'ECIAL T V. Calls attended to at all hours. W M. KOENIO. Architect and Builder, COVE, OREGON. Drafts, Plans and Designs for Dwellings, and ISridges furnished on application. Shingles For Sale! An unlimited amount of No. 1 shingles constantly in hand and for sale ehi-ap. Order ;roin all partR of the country so licited. S. 15. llUKKoroiLS, 3-1 1 tf Cove, Oregon. City-Ieat-Iaitet. Main Street, Union. Oregon, BENSON JmOS. rnOl'IUETOUS. j ICp coiuUntly on liaud BEEF, I'OHK- VEAL, MUTTON, ! SAUSAGK, HAMS, LABI). Etc. Fine Line of Watch THE TAX LEVY. Jmlse Gaodill Discusses tUe Subject and Corrects a few Misrepresentations. Uxion. Or., .Iil'i. 1, lKl. Entrou Ounuon Scout: 1 avMi (o beg of you n little space to reply to nn article in lust issue of the Lit Grando Gnxette, concerning the tax levy of Union county for the year 1SSU. Said article commenced by saying Hint the tax levy will be about 28 mills-. How tho writer of the article learned what the levy is or would he, he did not explain. The county court of Un ion county has not yet been informed on that subject, though it is pretty generally expected that the state levy will be unusually high, as tho last leg islature was very liberal with the peo ple's money; but so far as I know the stato board has not fixed the state levy vet. The Gazette asserts that tho present levy will be within two mills of that made by Judge Alberson, (.'10 mills) when the total assessment was only $000,000, leaving tho inference that that was the only levy of I!0 mills that had ever been made in the county, nor did he state the fact that at the time Judge Alberson made this .'10 mill levy Union county scarce owned a bridge or road ; that nearly all the bridges j and roads in the county, such as they 1.1 ,....!! wore, iieioiigeo 10 ion companies. The writer of said article states that a little over two-thirds of this levy of 30 mills is for county purposes, and says that any one attempting to ex plain why a fund of $f)0,00() is neces sary for the legitimate expenses of this county for one year will have a job on his hands, and that there is a motive in this levy not hard to gue.-s; that the present county board is favorable to retaining tho county seat at Union, and this levy was made to handicap La Grande, etc. ; that such a tax levy can have no other purpose, as tho county is hardly more than nominally in debt, and asks what is a county fund of between $50,000 and $00,000 to be raised for just at this time? and answers his own question by saying, certainly not to defray legitimate court expenses and officers' fees; that this fund is Hiifiii ient to pay all such ex penses and build a dozen expensive bridges, besides that this levy is simply a bare-faced attempt to hoodoo the tax-payers. Well now J fear the Gazette man is the worst hoodood individual in the county. 1 wonder if this is not the first instance of a county board being charged with making an unnecessary and high levy for political capital. What has all this got to do with tho county seat question? I thought La 15. Eaton's j buildings gratis. If tho writer of this article had informed himself concern j ing the subject treated ho need not j have made a donkey of himself. Now as this is a matter in which the tax-payers are interested, and tho arti cle referred to is calculated to deceive, if not corrected, I wish to point out Borne of its most glaring errors. First, as to the county being "scarcely moro than nominally in debt." I most sin cerely wish that was true. I refer tho writer to tho county clerk's last finan cial exhibit, which I have not before nic, and which tho Gazette man surely could not have read or elso his readers had not. That exhibit mado tho coun ty's indebtedness at considerable moro than tho present levy for county pur poses, oven if his figures wore correct, which they uro not, as I will show presently. Tho lotal taxable property of this county as returned by tho assessor for tho year 1809, is $2,830,700, not $:i, 000,000 as ho has it. Tho tax levy on this for county purposes is 10 mills, which is not, I believe, a littlo over two-thirds of 28 as ho has it. This levy of sixteen mills, if it could bo all col lected, would raisoa fund of $l.r,202.1G, but as a matter of courso a considera ble portion will not bo collected. Of tho tax levy of 1888 $2,118.10 has been lost alroady, stricken ofi' by the county court, and thore is nearly $-1,000 on the delinquent tax list. yet. Now, as to tho statement, or infer- onco at loust, that tho levy of 30 mills made by Judge Alberson was tho high- etit levy over made and the only levy mm,e ,,f 30 ,,,i118' 1 '! without going back further in tho history of tho conn ty than 1870 that tho levy for that year I es, Clocks, Jewelry,' and the two years following was 110 , mills and the school tax then was only ; t mills, whereas since 1SSG that has been f mills. 1 suppose the Gazetto : man is aware that tho school tax is ! fixed by statute, and that the county J court can only make tho levy. The levy for county purposes in 1S70 was 20 mills; in 1S77-S, 10 mills; in 1S70 it was 17 mills and we bad very littlo to slinu fnr it. hi flio wnv nf rnmit.v rn;ils I , , ., ... . mill lirwlirnc llion tttlwtt " in fuv tlllVt L1 IVIVO) bliVllf VtkllUt I i 11 Vt.V j levy or county purposes for the year 1SS9 is just one mill more, than for tho year 1SSS, and that was made necessa ry by tho extraordinary heavy ex pense incurred in the last year for roads and bridges, which appeared to tho court to bo demanded by tho ne cessities of tho count'. Tho court has had constructed fourteen now bridges within the last year, besides the bridge over Wallowa river, for which Union county pays one-half, besides repairing old bridges at quite a considerable ex pense, in addition to which the court has appropriated more money to tho improvement of the roads of the conn- j ty than has been expended for that purpose in any previous year. I find by reference to the records of the coun ty that since January 1, 1SSS) there has been issued in countv warrants for road and bridge purposes a sum which added to the cost of a bridge just fin ished in Eagle valley, for which war rants have not yet been issued, aggre gating $20,;i50.79, a sum far in excess of tho expenditures of the county for a like purpose for any previous year in tho history of tho county. While the wisdom of the county court in making such heavy expenditures for this pur pose may be questioned, by some, the court certainly acted in good faith in the matter. Quito a number of tho old bridges had bccoino dangerous and were replaced by a better class of bridges, and a number of bridges were built in now places where they wero much needed. A number of appropri ations wero mado in the last year for tho improvement of roads in answer to petitions of tho tax-payers, and more road Jtools were bought than usual, such as plows, scrapers, etc., which wore much needed. 1 can assure tho Gazette man that tho subject of making the levy for county purposes was considered at con siderable length and pretty fully dis cussed, pro and con, and finally made, as before stated, in view of tho stern facts set forth in this article, and I can assure all concerned that tho county seat question had nothing whatever to do with it. I do not believe that it was thought of at tho time by any member of tho court. While I believe it is a fact, as stated by tho Gazotto man, that tho county court, or at least a majority of it, "are opposed in sentiment, to a removal of tho county scat, at this time, and that it would bo unwise and entirely un necessary. Wo, or at least I am per fectly willing to leave tho question to the freo expression of the legal vo ters of the county at the polls, and 1 must confess that I would be complete ly at a loss to deviso a scheme for tho county court, to influence that vote if they wished. O. P. GOODALL. SANGER SIFTINOS, Miss Legoro' formerly of Indian creek, is visiting her mother in Sanger. Mr. Scott Eonghas returned to San ger, after ten day's absence. He looks as pleasing as ever. A masquerade dance was given at Sanger on Now Year's eve. Jt was a grand success. Big creek was well represented, and it was enjoyed by all present. Born, to tho wife of Thomas Allen, December .'10, 1889, a son. Wife and baby getting along nicely. Only four feet of snow and still snowing. A good water eeason next summer is expected by tho placer miners. Mr. Sam George is preparing to open up a placer mine on Eagle creek, about four miles from Sanger. He will run u hydraulic pipo. Wo wish him success. Mr. Biley Dean has returned to San ger. He is u first-class miner and we uro glad to sco him with us onco more, j Sanger has thrco stores, about four- j teen families and no saloon. 'I his is speaking well for Sanger. Everybody is busy and no idle men in camp if they want to work. Silverware, Guns Y7ASinHC5To:J. An Intcrestlns Letter from Our Hegular Correspondent at the C&vitil. Washington, (!. C.) Vvc. i!;, KsD. Editor Okkoon ?coit: If a "green Christmas" be repugnant to the idea of merrymaking, what must j ho said of a Christmas day that is so balmy that overcoats have to bo (lis- lAlllll'U, illlU W1U .III IS 11V.I Y ailll 1I1U121 ' and overvthinir one totiches tickv i and everything one touches is sticky from it? That was the sort of Clirisl- mas day Washington was favored with for this year of grace. Tho family arose betimes in tho White House and by seven o'clock the wild shrieks of childish delight rang through the corridors of tho mansion. There never was a family that evinced stronger atleetion between all its mem bers. Mrs. Harrison's mourning over her sister, Mrs Lord, is tempered by none of that fashionable philosophy that curbs sisterly allection as it exists in these advanced days. The Presi dents direction for his grandchildren comes as near idolatry as his nature allows. So you may be sure that stockings were filled in tho orthodox manner and there was a Christinas tree loaded with tho usual presents. President Harrison, learning with probably little regret that there would be no service at his church, tho church of the Covenant, spent all day with the children, assisting in their amusements. There wero picture books and dolls and cars and wagons galore. Tho only member of tho cabinet absent from tho city on Christmas day was John Wanamaker, and the only one to attend church was Secretary Tracey. All tho cabinet families spent tho day very quietly, save that Secre tary Rusk had such of tho Wisconsin congressman as happened to be in town at dinner in the evening. v.uno a milliner o, congressmen spent tho day in the city, not feeling v i , . p loio u spare r ume w Ko mm.e. ,y great many, including Senators Chand ler and Ingalls, iiad their entire fami lies with them. Tho ancient social argumont about the order of precedence in the leceiv inglino at the White House receptions has revived for tho winter, and is now being waged with all the weapons of worny wanare. i no occasion ,s found in Mrs. Harrison's appointment of her daughter, Mrs. McICee, to rep-j . . nil . ? ? resent her at the New Year's reception, as bho herself will bo obliged to be absent in view of the recent death of Mrs Scott Lord. The discontented allirm that tho place of honor in tho enforced absence of tho President's wife belongs to the Vice-President's wife. They go further in saying that Mrs. McKee's husband having no place in ollicial life, she is not entitled to tho recognition. Another row is raised by the pro vision for receiving tho judges of the supremo court of the Distiictof Colum bia with tho justices of tho United States superior court, while senators and representatives cool their heels in waiting. Tho difference between our twcedle-dee and tweodlo-dum is very strongly marked in our democratic country. On the last train to carry people north for the Christmas holidays was Senator Evarts. Amid a merry (mat tering throng of young people, the old man crouched far down in his chair, silent and listless. On the hook abovo his head, danced his ancient sill: hat, looking moro dilapidated than over by contrast with tho elegant surroundings. Thero is something pathetic in tho picture of a tired and feeble old man going homo to a Christmas dinner that his stomach will not allow him to eat. Senator Evarts has aged terribly in a year. Tho temples havo wasted to tho last degree, tho complexion is liko parchment and tho lack-lustre eyes take no notice of surroundings, save when he is in conversation, He will sit by the hour buried in a big chair, with his legs cio.sscd and his right hand thrust into his trousers pocket, without a movement. With tho ex ception of "Pig Iron" Kelloy, tho father of tho house, hu shows hid ago moro than any man in congress. And yet in that New York ollico of hj(i ,,0 wi HI,0I1, lmlf tho ,loU(Hy fc0u. SOn planing tho ablest legal battlos known to tho profession. It is understood that Provident Har rison will send to congress on its con vening after tho holidays a special and Amunition Just1 message on the silver question. In it J lle wiU ti,ko ,ho Kroll"l h,1(1 b' ocre- ! uiry uuiom, recommending tne A . , 1 '! 1 , . , stoppage of tho coinage of silverdollars and tho issue of silver certificates upon bullion to be deposited with the TELOCASET TATTLIKG3. January. 0, 1S0O. Finest sleighing we ever "seed." Wo have two or three moro weeks of school. Prank Ixjavitt, of La Grands, is visit ing friends in Pylo Canyon. Rob Tombleson is shipping soino Oregon furs to his father, in .Norfolk, England. Wo aro well advertised in lots of ways. John Cates is able to bo up and around again, after a long siego with inllainmatory rheumatism. John Hanson anil wife are stopping at her father's C. H. Proscott, at pre sent. John had tho misfortune to sprain his ankle, badly, in North Pow der, a fow days ago. Wo have a telegraph ollico, now at Telocaset. Tho name of tho city, is also displayed on a board, to the grati fication of many curious passengers. Growing little by little. So did Jeru salem. Several bands of horses and some cuttle aro on tho hills in this vicinity. Stock owners should take a tumble, as grass is a scarce article on this range. Tho dancing craze has subsided. The dancers aro brooding with miser caro over thick, aching craniums, and empty purses. Schools aro running again, after two long weeks of vacation and tho light-toed youngsters ply their brains over tho text-book, instead of worrying about that "girl o' mine." W. A. Cates and family wore called to Baker City lust week, on the death of , ,on L u hon Thov have tho j m.ofouml syilll)lUiy 0f an wi,0 know i that good man. Mrs. Ison is a sister of Mr. Cates. Tho vacancy loft by tho death of Judge Ison is one hard to Jill as acceptably as ho filled it. A younger brother of Lewis Mc Maugh, arrived hero last week, from Yamhill county. Tho young man scorns to bo well pleased with tho ap pearance of this part of the state, and . wo hopo win renmin to b(J coume(1 j ns ono 0f us ' Charlev and Robert Tombleson had I thru0 Yalual)lu horHOa Idllc(1 hy tlui tmill a fow days since. The railroad compa- ny is not the best hand in tho world to pay for stock killed by its trains, and persons unlucky onough to bo thus rid of their stock do not receive half value. John Brooke, our gonial neighbor, is now in Nottingham, England. Jack will come back to Oregon in the Spring, a married man. Ho expects to live at Mount Tabor, near Portland. Wo wish them all the happiiicssand wealth and joy that mankind is heir to. May the cares of life rest gontly on their shoulders. This kind of weather is hard on noses. It reminds a man of his many tender spots, every timo ho sallies forth into the two-below-zoro-air. It is bra cing. Our ears aro our best friends. Also our fingers call on us for recog nition pretty often. Ho who has no work to do this kind of weathor, is lucky above all moil I Men in this vicinity who disposed of their sheep interests in the fall, aro now glad they did so. Peed is not in abundance, generally, and this kind of weather is heavy on hay. It is thought we will havo tho heaviest snow-fall known for a good many years past. Lots of it makes good crops, so let 'or come I Tho snow at tho mills abovo North Powder is just thrco feet deep. Tho loggers went up last week to prospect, but found tho logs covered too deep to bo skidded easily, and returned, de cided to wait till nature in her proces ses shall havo reduced hor wealth of the "Beautiful Snow." Tho snow bird flits, And tho sleigh bell jingles, Hurrah for tho snow, ho, hoi Our notes sting, And tho girls ear tingles, Hurrah for the snow, ho, hoi Km Sinolk, All tho knowing themselves to bo In debted to me, either by book account or note, are rcqueHted to settle at onco or costs of collection will bo added, I need tho inonov ami niuit Imvolt. Y. WiiitON. Received at A. N. "A PLEA TOR, SCHO0L3." Huffnian'a Argument A Tribute to Bomo Glorious Names. Editok Scout: As Mr. Moore's time is too precious to be wasted in newspaper correspond- j ence, it would not be courtesy in me to infringe on him, but however much of frivolity and absurdity I may ad vance, in Moore's way of looking at it, just remember that nineteen summers are not sullicient to acquire knowledge and enlightenment of such magnitudo that is necessary to copo with a gentle man who has graduated at an eastern "college" and who has mado the sub ject of defense of the old dogmas a practice for years. His fust adventure is to mako the assertion that "I must needs again take up my pen, oven though but for a few thoughts." This is very com mon with religious men. A few (and very fow) thoughts at a timo aro all they entertain. They scarcely over wander far out into tho fields of thought. Liko tho old navigators, they hug the shore. The position I took in my first article, that is, that sectarian schools should go, 1 still stand by, and by saying "down with them" I mean that tho present ago should cleanse itself of all the old notions, as tho past age has; I mean that the rising generation should bo awako to tho needs of our people, in establishing for them a free and unfettered system of national in stitutions; I mean that it is tho imper ative duty of every man who has tho power, and manhood, to aim at tho total separation of religion, as it is to-day, and education; I mean that wo should put men at the head of our government who will havo sullicient interest in our public welfare to strive to lay tho foundation of an imperish able superstructure of national en lightenment, freo from all sectarian bent, and warp, freo from priesthood, free from tho dogmas that aro taught, and of it character that shall servo all classes with equal charity. Largo ap propriations arc made yearly for use less and non-bonclicial purposes. Let these bo cut oil", and our boasted sur plus, which ofl'ers so much temptation to our slick fingered politicians, bo used in laying tho corner stono of tho Amorican system of education and not the religious system. Tho stato tax at present is even heavy enough, and a handsomo system of stato educa tional institutions could bo started without imposing a mill moro tax. Do away with useless donations and set before our legislature the fact of our need; send mon there who are not afraid of tho votes of tho religious ele ment, and lot him say to tho body, "Let theso useless littlo appropriations ccaso and lot us turn our eyes to tho citizon's interest." In pointing to the thrco institutions of liberal bent, I do so with pride, and say again that these thrco aro just ushering in tho stars of Freothought that shall shino in the azuro heavens of American free education in the "good timo coining." I say again with all sincerity that tho ago of free institutions is just dawning; that tho ago of liberal education is just spread ing its peaceful wings over this fair laud of ours! And I Bay, further, that Liberals as a class are supporters and maintainors of schools. I point to every public school houso in Amorica as evidence of this fact. Our public school system is a liberal system throughout. Beligion is not taught there, and children .are taught tho practical things in life to know how to set valuation on commodity, how to compare, and tho fundamental rules of business. All wo need in the way of establishing a bettor system is aid from tho stato, that higher and more thorough courses may be taught in our Liberal public schools. Infidels aro opening up tho old sys tom. It is through their efforts that bible reading in public schools has nearly ceased, and by tho timo wo uro as old in America us Christianity is, grant tho indulgence that wo can pro duco as many learned men, ns many colleges, as many lights in tho nation al arena, as many noblo and majestio monuments of intelligence and thought, us docs tho Chiistiun Ameri ca to-day. James Lick did not stamp his gift with his peculiar bolief. Ho did not CXintinutd on lait tagc. Gardner & Co's.