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About Heppner gazette. (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1906)
Heppner Gazette Issued Thursday of Each Vck DROWNED AT HIS POST. HEPPNER OREGON RESUME OF THE WEEK'S DOINGS General Review of Important Hap-i penings Presented in a Brief and j Comprehensive Manner for Busy Readers National, Political, His torical and Commercial. John P. Rockefeller his Forest Hill home. ie missing from The Btesmer Mongolia has started for San Francisco, leaking badly. The Cubsn situation adds many com plications to Mr. Roosevelt's already strenuous job. The Russian government is now tak ing final action towards the distribution of land to peasants. Bernard Shaw says the new spelling reform is not much of a reform, con sisting mostly cf abbreviations. The rf cent report of the killing of 26 United States soldiers by Cuban insur gents is declared absolutely untrue. The total number of deaths from the recent Gulf etorm is n w placed at 125, and many points are yet to be leard from. The report of Pension Commissioner Warner shows a decrease of $12,470. There were 43,300 deaths of pensioners during the year. Indications now ara that at the com ing session of congress the senate will throw many obstruction in the way of Roosevelt's policy towards Cuba. General Thomas Hailey Harris, brigadier general in the Union arn y during the rebellion, is dead, aged 93 years. At Appomatox he is said to have silenced the last battery ever placed in action by General Lee. Still another plot to assassinate the czar has beeu discovered. A new outbreak of Jewbaiting has occurred at Odessa, Russia. A sister of Mre. Howard Gould has matried a Chinese coolie in San Fran cisco. Taft will not use troops in Cuba if he can possibly get along with marines and bluejackets. All preparations are complete for the inquiry into the doings of the lumber trust at San Francisco. The Hill lines are said to have sold vast deposits of iron ore to the United States Steel corporation. The Navy department has issued or ders to prepare the receiving ship Han cock for use as a transport. Governor Toole, of Montana, has an nounced himself a candidate fcr the United States senate to succeed W. A. Clark. A Japanese steamer is accused of re fusing aid to the American steamer Mjngolia, which went ashore at Mid way island. The expenses of the San Francisco re lief committee for September were $121,57.6 Tbelulget for October is ret u:ed to $49,507. Teddy Rooeevelt, Jr., and three chums at Harvard have been arrested for beating up a policeman in the col lege town. They have been released Rooeevelt does not expect a crisis in the Cuban affair. Keeper of Lighthouse on Gulf Declines to Take Refuge on Tug. Mobile, Ala., Oct. 2. The number of casualties in the great storm of last Wednesday is slowly increasing, as messages arrive from places which have heretofore been inaccessible. The total last night of the known dead was 75. This number was brought up to a certainty of 79, and a possibility of 102, by the reports which reached Mo bile during the night and early today Four bodies not before counted have been found at Coden, and it is esti mated that 23 lives have been lost from the oyster fleet around Cedar Point. This last estimate is not known to be accurate, and is probably some what exaggerated, for the reason that it includes among the dead every man aboard a fishing boat who has not been heard of since the storm. It is known that some of the boats on which these men were have beer driven ashore, and it is entirely pos sible that some of the crews managed to reach the shore. It does not seem likely at present that the death roll will amount in this vicinity to more than 125. Mobile itself is rapidly emerging from the confusion caused by the storm. Large gangs were kept work ine all of Sunday in clearing the streets of debris, three of the street car lines have commenced to run, for the first time since Wednesday, the confusion at the docks is rapidly be ing repaired and business will be at normal action as soon as the railroads are able to run trains. The keeper of the Horn Island light house, just outside of Scranton, lost his life. The captain of a tug which came near the house at the commence ment of the storm urged him to leave, but he refused to abandon his post, and in a short time was drowned. The entire end of the island on which the lighthouse was situated is said to have been carried away by the waves. Five out of eight vessels at Ship Island at the time of the storm were beached and two will be total wrecks. Several vessels, the names of which are unknown, are ashore off Horn Is land and the small islands marking the passage between Dauphin Island and the mainland have been destroyed. The beacon lights on this part of the coast are not greatly damaged. The schooner Alice Graham, of Mo bile, is known to have been lost, with her crew of six men. This boat has been pursued by an evil fate, and, be sides having various mishaps from time to time, was wrecked in the great storm of 1893, when several people were lost from her. Four bodies have been picked up in the water near Dauphin Island am h.nvp hppn huripfl there. Two were evidently sailors and two were boys The people on Dauphin Island suffered great hardships during the storm, and for 24 hours were- in great danger. The soldiers nf Fort Gaines made a dan gerous trip of two miles to the resi dences on the island, ottering to give everybody shelter within the fort, but fhs nffpr was in al cases refused, tne nponlp tireferring to remain in their own houses. NEWS ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST FROM THE STATE OF OREGON TROOPS OFF FOR CUBA. IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION. The United SLateB navy is extremely short of marines. Russian terrorists have offered a re ward for the assassination of the czar Outlawry in Leyte and Samar, Phil ippine islands, may force military rule The hurricane which has swept the Southern BtateB will greatly damage the cotton crop. Taft opposeB the plan for a provis ional government and may proclaim himself governor. Mexican rebels captured the town of Jiminez, but after a sharp fight they were driven out by troope. San Juan, Porto Rico, experienced a series of severe earthquakes. Buildings were badly damaged and the people were panic etricken. General Stoessel has resigned from the army and it has been accept d to prevent his stirring up a scandal over the surrender of Port Arthur. In the hearings of the oal land fraud in Wyoming by the Intestrate Commerce commission testimony was offered that a justiec of the Supreme court of Wyimiing helped the Union Pacific to secure government coal land. The government will proeecute the sugar trust. A plot to blow up the czar's yacht has just been discovered. President Roosevelt has ordered six more warships and 1,000 marines to Havana. Twenty have been killed in the race war at Atlanta. Troops are now in control and quiet reigns. United States marines have been or dered to guard the Britieh railroad in Santa Clara province, Cuba. The American legation at Stockholm bad n narrow escape from being blown up by Finnish refugee revolutionists. Russian authorities have secured evi dence that General Trepoff was poison ed. A doctor has been arreeted for complicity in the crime. Vancouver Troops for Cuba. Vancouver Barracks, Wash., Oct. 1 -To assist in protecting life and prop t,. nnrl in nreservine peace in Cuba the '-Pearl of the Antilles" is the i.tar.of.il rather than war like, mis sion which will start the Seventeenth and Eighteenth mountain batteries stationed herp acl'OSS the conti nent to Newport News at an early hour today and which later will lead them to the scene of the present West Tnian imhroelio. It will be the first timp that these troops, equipped bet ter than the foot, or mounted soldiery of any other post in America to wage warfare among thp mountain passes and inaccessible highlands of Cuba novo been awav from the Columbia River garrison since their return from the Philippines nearly two years ago, save for their short trip to San Fran- . ...... .,nn. Cisco to CIO pairoi uihj iuuuwhjs carthquake. Coal Running Short. Winnipeg, Man.. Oct. 2. As the re sult of the strike of 5.000 miners em ployed at the Crows Nest Pass uoai Company and the Fernie-Michel and Coal Creek companies at Fernie, a coal famine threatens thp cities of the Canadian Northwest The mines at Lethbridge have been closed down for several months and when the man- . , . . r e 1 rt agers oi me rernie nun? inuam i- riisrharce non-union miners, president Sherman, of the district organization nf r-.iin.prs. called all his men out. Even the coke ovens a:e now shut down. Annual Meeting at Hood River Octo ber II and 12 Promises Well. The fourth annual meeting of the Oregon Irrigation association will be held at Hood River in connection with the Hood River Valley Fruit fair, Oc tober 11 and 12, 1906, and all who are interested in furthering the irrigation movement which at this time means so much to the development of the state, are invited to be present and partici pate in the work of this organization. The appointment of delegates will be as follows: All state officials, includ ing members of the legislative assem bly, senators and members of congress, including members of congress elect and senators nominated, the mayor of all cities, the presidents of the state university, state agricultural college and state normal schools, shall be con sidered ex-officio members of the asso ciation, and delegates shall be appoint ed as follows: Fifteen by the governor of the state, ten by the mayor of the city of Portland, five by the mayor of each other city in the state, five by the county judge of each county and five by each chamber of commerce, board of trade or other commercial body or reg ularly organized irriation, agricultural, horticultural or engineering society within the state. It is respectfully urged that in the appointment of delegates, persons shall be selected who are sincerely interested in the subject and who are likely to at tend the convention, and that appoint ments shall be made as early as possible. The appointing powers will please have the full name and postoffice ad dress of their appointees mailed to the secretary, A. King Wilson, at his office in the Chamber of Commerce building, Portland, immediately upon appoint ment being made. Information of every character rela tive to this meeting will be furnished by the eecretary. A partial program has already been arranged aa follows: "Irrigation Under the Caiey Act in the Deschutes Valley," Jesse Stearns, attorney for D. I. & P. Co.; "Need of Legislation in Oregon on the Subject of Waters," John H. Lewis, state engineer; "Irrigation for Humid Regions," (Oct. 12) Prof. F. L. Kent, dairy instructor, O. A. C; "Irrigation Conditions in Malheur County, Oregon," F. W. Met calf, manager famous Arcadia farm; "Fruit Growing on Irrigated Lands," Judd Geer, of Cove, Oregon; "Some Legal Phases of Irrigation," John II. Lawrey, attorney, Pendleton; "Irriga tion in the Willamette Valley," Grant B. Dimick, county judge, Clackamas county; "Irrigation iu the Rogue River Valley," J. W. Perkins, member of legislature, Jackson county. COBALT IN GRANT. Is To Be Found in No Other Section of United States. Salem According to the statistical information furnished Labor Commie sioner Hoff, by the United 8tates geo logical survey bureau, at Washington, D. C, there are 2,170 mines of differ ent kinds in the state of Oregon, under development, the greatei number of which are gold and copper, while in some portions of the Btate deposits of some kinds of mineral are found which do not exist elsewhere in the United States. Notable among these latter are the cobalt mines of Grant county, paid to be the only discovery of this valua' ble mineral to have been found in the country. Cobalt is used extensively and is of great value for colorir g purposes and in the arts. It is found in combination with copper, carrying a large per cent of gold. In his forthcoming biennial report, Labor Commissioner Hoff will comment upon thia statistical data as follows: a large number ot tne rames given in the table are not operated, some having been abandoned, and many are in the nrst stages of development, on account of the lack of capital to carry on the work. Considerable harm has been done the mining interesst of the state by unscrupulous promoters who, by 'wildcatting,' have succeeded in swindling many unsuspecting investors and are responsible for retarding the development o) the industry generally Ihe principal mining counties in the order of the number of miners em ployed are: Baker, Josephine, Jack- fon, Grant, Lane, Douglas and Coos Other counties have extensive mining interests, and the industry, already of some magnitude, will continue to grow At present there are about 3,370 min era in the state who draw an average wage of f 3 per day. Estimating that they work, on an average, two-thirds of the time, the amount paid them annually in wages is $2,022,000." Working Old Hammersley Mine. Grants Pbbs The old Hammersly mine, in the Jump-Off Joe district, is again the scene of active mining opera tions, after lying id e for a number of years. R. G. Smith, of this cily, has a force of men at work, and the stamps of the old mill are again dropping on good ore. The old pile of tailings, of which there are in the neighborhood of 350 tons, is being run through a cyan ide plant which has been erected. The tailings, according to assays, carry $11 in gold, and as the expense of working them is small, a handsome profit will be realized. O. A. C. Starts Well. Corvallis In spite of the fact that the O. A. C. opened early this year the first two days showed the largest enrollment for a similar time in the history of the inetitution, 498 being en rolled and many are still coming. Thia enrollment ia an increase of 56 over last year. At this rate an enrollment of more than 900 will be reached this year. With an expectation of this four new professors and assistant professors have been added to the faculty. Vety noticeable among the new students is the increase in the number of high school students, several coming from the Portland high school. Chittam Bark in Demand. Eugene Chittam bark is going up in price rapidly. Alt the past winter Eugene dealers have been paying 3a and 4 cents for the bark, but at present the price offered is 6 cents. Light veel for the past two seasons is given aa the cause for the rise. Manu aturers stocKS are running low. inere are about seven carloads of the bark in Eu gene warenouses, some oi whicn was purchased two and three years ago at a price about the same as ia now offered. Mobilization of Forces at Newport News Where Transports Are Ready. Washington, Oct. 1. American troops are now moving toward Cuba Mobilization of the forces will be at Newport News, Va., for the most part although a part of the expeditionary force to Cuba will be sent from New York and Tampa, Fla. Advices re ceived at the-departments of the mill tary today indicate that all is quiet in Cuba and that the insurgents intend to lay down their arms. The probability is the United States forces in the island will be landed only as a precautionary measure. So far as officials are advised no trouble of a serious kind Is anticipated, but in ac coruance with instructions from Pres ident Roosevelt hurried preparations are being made for the sending of an expeditionary force of the army to Cuba. The first American troops will be landed at Havana next Saturday Meantime the marines and bluejackets from the American fleet in Cuban waters will protect American interests and support Secretary Taft, the Pro visional Governor of Cuba, in the preservation of order and the protec tion of life and property. In official circles here American in tervention was regarded as inevitable. How long it may continue it is im possible to foretell. The nature of the intervention and th'e preparations for it indicate a supervision of Cuban af fairs on the part of the American gov ernment for an indefinite period. Ar rangements have been concluded not only for the expeditionary force to Cuba of about 5. C00 men, but for a second force of equal numbers. No orders for the mobilization of the second force, of course, have been is sued, but if the men are needed all arrangements nave been completed tor burying them to Cuba at the earliest possible moment. Whether more troops than are included in the first expedi tion will be sent to Cuba will depend upon tne developments in tne island during the next ten days. It is certain, however, that a suffi cient force of American troops will be maintained in Cuba to support the provisional government and to insure security to life and property pending the establishment of a stable govern ment by the Cubans. CUBANS GIVE UP CONTROL Secretary of War Taft Assumes Gov ernment of Islands. Will Act as Governor Until Affairs Warrant Civil Government, When Governor Winthrop, Now of Porto Rico, Will Step In Result Was Expected. WIRELESS CONVENTION. Countries Farmers Catch Salmon. Arlington The John Day river, a few miles west of Arlington, is simply alive with fine big Balmon, and farmers aie catching them there each day by the wagon load. It is expected tnat at least 10,000 of these fish will be cap tured in that stream within the next two weeks. PORTLAND MARKETS. Six Added to Death LUt. New Orleans, Oct. 2. Six more deaths were added to the list of drowned in the Mississippi Sound re gion today. Captain Culver, bis wife and four boatsnr-n. who were on an island in Grand Pay on the Mississippi-Alabama state line when the hur ricane began, havp been given up for lost. Everything on the islands was washed into the lay, leaving the place almost barren. Another Storm Is Coming. Washington. Oct. 2 The Weather Bureau tonight announced that an other "tropical disturbance Is report ed as approae hii,g the Yucatan Chan nel from the east. Imt that therp was Inn information availlilo as tn Ihe in- Teach Spanish in University, Eugene The University of Oregon has established a new department, that of romance languages, which will be under the charge of Dr. Timothy Go ran, who has jut returned from, a year's travel in b ranee and Snain. leretofore the university has offered rounes in French, with the instructor under the direction of Professor F. G. G. Schmidt, professor of modern lan guages and literatures. But with the coming of Dr. Cloran Spanish will be added to the university curriculum, and there will be opportunity for broad er work in the department of Germanic language and literature under Professor Schmidt. j tensity of the storm. Siuslaw is Full of Salmon. Eugene Rep- rts from the Siuslaw river state that the present run of chi Dook salmon ia the biggest in a num ber of years, and the pack of the two canneries and the co'd storage plant at Florence will be a record breaker. The canneries are ownrd and operated by o. vv. llurd and William Kyle & Sons, respectively, and the cold storage plant by the latter. The silvereides are just now beginning to run, and they, too, promise to be very plentiful. Offers Big Ranch for Sale. Athena J. J. Ranletone has placed sis large ranch on the market. He has 1,100 acres of the very beet wheat lands in Umatilla county, has farmed it for many years and reaped a fortune. The price asked ia 175 an acre. Wheat Club, 64b5c; bluestem, 67 68c; valley, 6768c; red, 61o'?l2c. Oats No. 1 white, $24(? 24 50; gray, $ 22 23 per ton. Barley .Fee l, $20(?21 per ton; brew ing, $21.50(322, rolled, $22. Rye $1.35 per cwt. Corn Whole, $27; cracked, $28 per ton. Hay Valley timothy, No. 1, $10 11 per ton; Eastern Oregon timothy, $1214, clover, $7Ct7.50; cheat, $7i! 7.50; grain hay, $7; alfalfa, $10; vetch bay, $7(7.50. Fruits Apples, common to choice, 2576c per box; choice to fancy, 75c $1.25; grapes, Oregon, 5075c per crate; peaches, 75c$l; pears, 75' a $1.25; crab apples, $1 1.25 per box; prunes, 25(ct;50e per box Melons Cantaloupes, $1(1. 25 per crate; watermelons, (tllc per pound; casabas, $2.50 per crate. Vegetables Beans, 5(t7c; cabbage. 1 -g f? 2c per pound; cauliflower, $1 per cozen; ceiery, oumuuc per dozen; cucumbers, 15c per dozen; egg plant, 10c per pound; lettuce, head, 20c per dez jn ; onions, iuai2-ac per dczen; pea?, 4 ul 5c; bell peppers, 5c; pumpkins, I74C per pound; spinach, 4(V5c per pound ; tomatoes, 40 01 50c per box; pareley, IOC 15c; sprouts, 8c per pouna; squaeu, i:4c per pound; turnips, 90cftfl per eack; carrotp, $1 (31.25 per sack; beets, $1.25(3 1-50 per sack; horseradish, 10c per pound. Oniona Oregon, $ 1 (it 1 .25 .per hun dred. Potatoes Oregon Burbanks, deliv ered, 80(ci90c; in carlots f. o. b. coun try, 7o 80c; sweet potatoes, 2J4C per pound. Batter Fancy creamery, 27,,2(rf30c per pound. Eggs Oregon ranch, 2c per dczen. Poultry Average old hens, 14( HjjC per pound; mixed chicken, 13'.. (14c; spring, 15c; old roosters, 10c; dreBsed chickens, 14(315,' ..jc; tur keys, live, lHtf21c; turkeys, dressed. choice, 21(r22,'4c; geese, live, 9310c; ducks, 14(t 15c. Hops 1906, 15I7c per pound; 1905, nominal; 1904, nominal. Wool Eastern Oregon average best, 15(3 19c per pound, according to shrink age; valley, 20(3 22c, according to fineness. Mohair Choice. 2' (330c per pound. Veal Dressed, 5!2'(3 8c per pound. Heef Pressed bulls, 3c per pound; cows, 4135,2c; country steers. 536c. Mutton Dressed fancy, (3c per Pnrd; ordinary, 5 6c; Iambs, fancy, 8c38Mc- Poik Dressed, 78g'c per pound. Delegates From Thirty-one Meet at Berlin. Berlin, Oc t. 1. Delegates represent ing 31 governments will assemble here October 3, by invitation of the German government, with the object of readi ng a common agreement for the ex change of messages by the use of var ious wireless telegraph systems, and to define the basis on which private wire less telegraph companies may operate with the consent of the governments. The conference is a result of the Marconj Company having refused to allow its stations to do business wit 11 persons using other than Marconi ap paratus. This controversy began soon after the Marconi Company, in 1001, set up stations for public telegraph purposes. The refusal of these sta tions to take messages sent in t the Slaby-Areo Herman) apparatus brought about the international wire less telegraph conference, also by the nvitation of Germany, in 1903. Eight governments took pait, as follows: Thp United States. Germany, 1-ranee, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Russia and Austro-Hungary. The delegates of six governments agreed n the final protocol to a series of recommendations looking toward the co-operation of all users of wire less. The delegates of Great Britain and Italy, because their governments had contracts with the Marconi, did not sign the re commendations. Little has come of these recommendations. The Marconi Company has continued to set up stations and to refuse the messages of rival systems. The most important act in the con troversy in the conference was that of the United States in 1!t0t directing the Marconi Company to remove its annaratus from the lightship Nan tucket. Germany will propose to the confer ence that an international bureau shall be established for the control of wire less telegraphing: that each wireless station must be connected with the ordinary telegraphs by special lines; Havana, Sept. 29. American inter vention in Cuba will be an accomplish ed fact today. President Roosevelt's peace commia- sioners, although clothed with the full est authority from him to take such ac tion whenever it became obvious that the securing of peace by harmonizing the waning Cubans was impoasible, patiently withheld their hands from thus setting aside Cuban sovereignity until the laat hope disappeared. Thia stage waa reached at a late hour last night, when a majority of all parties refused to attend the e s don of congress called to a,t upon the resignation of members of the government and declar ed definitely that they would have nothing more to do with the govern ment of Cuba. Aa was expected, there has been much ralid denunciation of the course puisued by the American commission ers, who, it has been alleged, have act ed unfairly towards the government. but the great mass of the residents oi Cuba, Cubans, Spaniards, Americans and all other foreigners, welcome inter vention as something for which they ave longed throughout Bix weeks of unrest, disorder and ill-feeling. Tne proclamation will be issued to day. It will be singed by Mr. Taft, by irtue o.' the authority vested in him by Preaiden Roosevelt. It will create Mr. Taft provisional military governor f Cuba until he deems the country udiciently pacified for civil govern ment, whereupon he will call Beckham Winthrop, governor of Porto Rico, to act as civil governor. NAVY IS SHORT OF MARINES Urgently Needed at Cienfuegos, None Are Available. Washington, Sept. 29. An appeal for more men to assist in protecting property at Cienfuegos, Cuba, was re ceived today by Acting Secretary New berry, of the Navy department, from Commander Smith of thecruieer Cleve land, which is now stationed at Cien fuegos, together with the gunboat Ma rietta. In addition to the regular comple ment of marines and bluejackets on the warships, 225 01 lnr marines were sent to Cienfuegos to ass'Bt in looking after foreign interests there, and at present the Nav department has no available men. Practically all the marines who can be spared from barracks in the United States and from warships are preparing to go to Havana. It is not believed by the Navy department that any of the men now at Havana or 011 their way there can be scared to aaeiet at Cienfuegos. Work of the Hurricane. Mobile, Ala., Sept. 29. Between 75 and 100 lives lost, tally two score ves sels driven ashore or wrecked in vari ous parts of the Gulf of Mexico, dam age amounting to $4,500 000 in the citv of Mobile, and two millions more at outside points, is the record of the Btorm which swept Mobile Wednesday and Wednesday night. No accurate es timate of the casualities can be made as yet, and it is doubtfu! if exact figuree will be known for a week or more. Pensacola suffered as much as Mo bile. The loss of life ia known to he heavy and damage to property will reach $5,000,000. The smaller towns and country throughout the district felt the hurricane equally as much aa the two cities. Troops From Fort Sheridan. Chicago, Oct. 1. Brigadier-General W. IF. Cater, commande r of the Depart ment of the Lakes, received orders from Washington today, directing two battalions of the Twenty-seventh In fantry and the Fourteenth United States Field Battery, at Fort Sheridan, to proceed immediately to Newport News, where tey will r-mbark for Cuba. Colonel W. L. Pitcher, in com mand of Fert Sheridan, ordered two special trains of 12 cars each for Tuesday morning, and it is expected the troops will leave for Ne w port News Insured by Penny Paper. New York, Sept. 29. A special cable dispatch to the Times from Loudon states that the heirs of one of the vic tims of the Granthan disaster have re ceived $1,000 insurance, which was effected at a cost of 1 penny. The in sured was a regular subscriber to a London penny weekly which insures it") readers against acccidenta and death. Ilia bag, containing a current copy of the paper, duly stamped, wa at the hotel at Retford. Within a few hours of hia death the claim waa exam ined, allowed and settled. Railroads to Ee Sued. Washington. Oct. 1. Attorney Gen eral Moody has directed that suits be brought against a large number of railroad companies to recover penal tits for violation of the safety appli-art-p law thiough failure to keep their equipment in proper condition. The largest number of violations attributed to any road is that of Si. against the Delaware & Hudson Company. The total number of violations is 181. Cold Storage Chickens Condemned- Chicago, Sept. 29. Two cars of cold toragn chickens and over ten carloads of meat were condemned vesterdav by Chief Food Inspector M irray and his assistants, to say nothing of 15 ca'caso s of diseased cattle and four calves. The condemnation of the chickens was due to private advices received bv Mr. Murray from Canada. When he learn ed that the lot 1 ad escaped him and was on the way to New York, he noti fied the authorities there. Uncle Sam Owns Palma Island. Washington, Sept. 29. It ia said at the State department that no doubt exists as to the American ownership ami control of I'alma's island, one of the small islands on the southeastern edge of the Philippines. About 18 months ago the War department re quested the di partment of State to de termine whether or not Falma's island was included in the Philippine erour owned by the United States.