Heppner gazette., January 17, 1907, Image 2

Heppner Gazette
lisued Thursday of Each Week
COLDEST IN YEARS.
HEPPNER
OREGON
RESUME OF THE
WEEK'S DOINGS
General Review of Important Hap
penings Presented in a Brief and
Comprehensive Manner for Busy
Readers National, Political, His
torical and Commercial.
the
off
Bryan admits he is a candidate for
president.
Radical reforms are promised in
Chinese government.
California will endeavor to shake
the grip of the Standard Oil trust.
Seven rioters have been shot in the
presence of the populace at Orizaba,
Mexico.
The Union Pacific has granted ship
ping facilities to boycotted Wyoming
coal companies.
The Texas legislature is devoting
much time to investigating the conduct
of Senator Bailey.
The Wells-Fargo Express company is
to replace the Pacific Express company
on the Union Pacific.
A Chicago man has been acquitted of
crime on the ground that he committed
it in his sleep. The judge is also a
sleep walker.
Eight men crossed the Columbia riv
er at The Dalles on the ice. It was
rather ditlicult but only one fell in and
he was rescued without injury.
After standing loyally by Judge James
Wickersham, of Alaska, for four years,
Piesidenht Roosevelt may send some
other name to congress for confirmation.
Bids have been opened for Panama
canal contract. The lowest is lower
than the estimate made by the commis
sion and they will probably get the
work. Their profit is estimated at $'.),-450,U00.
The pope has issued an encyclical
denouncing French church laws.
The last horse car line in New York
City is to be equipped for electricity.
Thousands of Chinese in the famine
district are living on grass and roots.
Congressman Charles Curtis has been
nominated for senator by Kansas Re
publicans. Hearst has won the first point in his
appeal to oust McClellan as mayor of
New York.
The Union Pacific will probably be
ordered by the Interstate Commerce
Commission to sell the stocks of other
roads.
Japan has given no reason for not
Bending the squadron to visit the Pa
cific coast as planned.
Alaskans are endeavoring to have
the president's order withdrawing coal
land from entry removed.
A move to ivestigate Gugenheim's
purchase of a senatorsbip has been
squelched by the Colorado legislature.
A resolution has been introduced in
the Idaho legislature favoring exclusion
of Japanese coolies.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
bluestem,
$25(
68c;
26;
gray,
ton ;
Wheat Club. 66c;
valley, 66c; red, 64c.
Oats No. 1 white,
$24.5025.
Barley Feed, $21.5022 per
brewing, $22.50; rolled, $2324.
Rye $1.401.45 per cwt.
Corn Whole, $26; cracked, $27 per
ton.
Hay Valley timothy, No. 1, $1314
per ton; Eastern Oregon timothy, $14
16; clover. $88.50; cheat, $7.50
8.50; grain bay, $7.508.50; alfalfa,
$11.50; vetch hay, $88.50.
Butter Fancy creamery, 3035c
per pound.
Butter Fat First grade cream, 33c
per pound; second grade cream, 2c less
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 32j33c per
dozen .
Poultry Average old hens, 1415c
per pounil; mixel chickens, I6((t 14c;
spring, 1415c; old roosters, 10llc;
dressed chickens, 1617c; turkeys,
live.l717sc; turkeys, dressed, choice,
20 22c; geese, live, 1012c; ducks,
14 ( 15c.
Veal Dressed, 520c per pound.
Beef Dressed bulls, 1 2c per pound ;
cows, 45c; country steers, 55J2c.
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 8!tc ier
pound; ordinary, 6f3 7c.
Pork Dressed, 6 (i per pound.
Fruits Apples, common to choice,
50 75c per box ; choice to fancy, $liS
2.50; j-ears, $1(S1.50; cranberries,
$11.50(312 per barrel; persimmons,:
$1.50 per box.
Vegetables Turnips, 00c $1 per
sack; carrots, 'M)c(H $1 per sa'"k ; beet, .
$1.251.5D per sack; horseradish,)
fM 1 0c per pound ; sweet potatoes, .'!
per iKiund; cabbage, 2c per pound;
cauliflower. $1.25 per dozen; celery, I
$3.75(34.25 per crate; onions, i
12,'iC fer dozen; lell reppcrs, 8c;
pumpkins, 2c per round; spinach, AOt
6c per pound; ruin-ley, 10f15c; squash,
2c fier pound.
Onions Oregon, $11. 25 jr hun
dred. Potabies Oregon Burlianks, fancy,
$lrrfl..'M; common, 750tiK
llojis (t3c t ound, accord
ing to qua lity.
Wool -ji-tern Orr-gon average lest,
13f-lKe -r jxiiind, affording to shrink
age; valley. 2"o 23c, according to fine
lie; moliair, choice, 26(3 28c.
Icy Grip Holds Northwest Shortage
of Fuel Increases.
Portland, Jan. 15. With the mer
cury steadily falling all day Sunday
and Monday and promising to continue
at a low point today, Portland is shiv
ering from the effects of the severest
cold snap in many years. Between 5
a. m. and 5 p. m. Sunday the tempera
ture fell 7 degrees virtually without
break. When the weather bureau
closed Sunday night at the latter hour
the thermometer registered 17 degrees
above zeio ami yesterday hovered near
that mark all day. With the fuel
shortage more acute than ever before
the cold wave could hardly have struck
Portland at a more unfortunate time
What is true of Portland applies to
nearly every city in the Pacific North
west, as the cold snap is general. At
Vancouver the Columbia river is frozen
over. The Willamette river is full ot
running ice and niav become blocked at
any time. Navigation on the Colum
bia is at a standstill.
Manv of the lower river boats have
been taken off their runs and from pres
ent indications nothing will move for
several days.
Inland Empire Icy.
Spokane, Jan. 15. The whole Inland
Empire is in the grip of the most severe
cold weather known for a decade. At
Pullman the mercury dropped to 18 de
grees below zero; at Palouse. the mini
mum was 11 below zero; Sand Poi.it,
Idaho, reports 12 below; Moscow, Ida
ho, witnessed 10 degrees below; North
Yakima reports 7 degrees below, and in
Spokane the lowest mark recorded is 1
below. In Yakima valley equally cold
weather was experienced seven years
ago. but elsewhere the present cold
snap is the most severe in 10 years.
The unprecedented shortage of fuel
throughout the Spokane country adds
to the inconvenience of the situation
Coal is scarce and selling at abnormal
lv high prices. In some districts wood
is fairly plentiful, while in the Bi
Bend and Central Washington sections
all fuel is reduced almost to the van
ishing point. General suffering is cer
tain to ensue if the temperature does
not rise speedily.
In various sections the railroad com
panics have notified the coal dealers
that coal cannot be delivered for an in
definite period, and it is announced
that large consignments of coal from
Canadian mines to the Inland Empire
points have been diverted by the Cana
dian Pacific railroad to Alberta and
Northwest Territory points where the
weather is exceedingly severe and fuel
is demanded by suffering settlers.
Throughout the Palouse the frost
has damaged deciduous trees. In or
chards tlie crackle of bursting fruit
trees is compared to the report of shot
guns.
Stock has not yet suffered, but all
animals are being fed heavy rations
and a speedy rise in the price of forage
is predicted. One foot of snow covers
the ground and wheat crops will not be
damaged by frost.
Cold Wave is General.
St. Paul, Jan. 15. A cold wave of
considerable intensity has developed
in Eastern Montana and Western North
Dakota. At 8 o'clock last night read
ings at stations in the Canadian North
west showed temperatures ranging from
14 below zero to 32 below. In the
United States the coldest place was
Havre, Montana, with a temperature
of 22 below. Other temperatures were:
Helena, 14 below; Miles City, Mon
tana, 10 below; Bismark, N. D., 6 be
low; Williston, N. D., 18 below; Dev
il's Lake, N. D., 16 below.
DOINGS OF OUR NATIONAL
BODY OF LAWMAKERS
I desired to address
senate subject.
the senate on the
Montana Situation Serious.
Helena, Mont., Jan. 15. The worst
spell of winter weather experienced in
Montana for many years now prevails.
Unusually heavy snow in the northern
part of the state and extremely cold
weather is stopping the operations of
trains, endangering lives of cattle and
sheep, and even menacing human life
in remote districts. Old stockmen say
the outlook is more serious for their
herds than at any time since the mem
orable wintre of 1887-88.
Saturday, Jan. 12
Washington, Jan. 12. The
listened to a debate on the race oik
i,,m oul.iv in wl.li'li Tillmnii wna tlw Washington, Jan. 9. By a vote of
principal participant and Patterson, of j to 50 the house in committee of the
Colorado, his opponent. Thev brought whole today, having the army appro-
into striking contrast the ideas of the ' priation bill under consideration, refus
South and North. President Roose
velt's action in the Brownsville matter
was the subject of discussion.
Tillman held that nothing was in
volved in it except the race question,
and that the administration was respon
sible for the growing acute condition of
the race question in the South. The
president, he maintained, had encour
aged the negro to assert his equality,
and then had wrought vengeance on a
whole battalion for following that en
couragement. He condemned the pres
ident's action in some respects.
Patterson defended the President's
right to dismiss the troops, but said
there might be some ground to question
its policy. He condemned in strong
terms what he regarded as the radical
position of Tillman, and predicted the
extinction of the Democratic party in
the North would follow a continuance
of such tactics.
STOP SALTON FLOOD,
ed to strike out an item of $1,000,000
for the purpose of paying the expenses
of regiments, battalions, squadrons and
batteries of the organized militia to
participate in such brigade or division
encampment as may be established for
the field instruction of the troops of the
regular army.
During the discussion of the army
appropriation bill today, Representa
tive Kahn, of California, declared the
absence of the canteen was responsible
for the unusual number of desertions
durinfg the past year.
Friday, Jan II.
Washington, Jan. 11. The senate
todav without division passed
Cumber service pension bill.
was so amended as to make it applica
ble to the survivors of the Mexican as
well as the Civil war and to prohibit
the payment of fees to pension attor
neys.
Considerable time was also given to
the Snioot case, several senators speak
ing in favor of the Utah man retaining
his seat.
Washington, Jan. 11. The house to
day adiourned till Monday after break
Tuesday, January 8.
Washington, Jan. 8. Practically all
of todav was given over by the senate
leaders of both parties to
bring harmony between opposing views
concerning the proposed investigation
of the affray at Brownsville, Tex
What amounts to an agreement be
tween Senators Foraker and Lodge has
been attained by their friends, but in
asinuch as it was decided not to present
the Ate- the compromise until all of the sena
The bill ' tors desiring to do so had made speech
es on the subject of the dismissal of the
negro troops, it is not absolutely cer
tain that the peace plans will not be
upset.
The compromise is not great lv differ
ent from the rt solution presented bv
Lodge and a similar resolution which
Foraker had intended to offer as a sub
stitute for his original resolution.
provides for the investigation by the
senate committee on military affairs of
the affray at Brownsville, and to this
sub
1 j 1. il l .. . it .i
in.r ull ro,r,lu n f ,1 r n rnsinn Wi- "re to oe auueu provisions mat a
lation is concerned. Six hundred and ' "wnmittee be sent to Brownsville, am:
twenty-eight private pension bills were
passed in 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Thursday, January 10.
Washington, Jan. 10. By a vote of
70 to 1 the senate today passed a bill
providing that railway employes en
gaged in handling trains shall not work
more than 16 consecutive, hours which
period is to be followed by ten hours
off duty. The one negative vote was
cast by Senator Pettus.
that the expenses of the investigation
be paid out of the contingent fund of
the senate. Such a resolution v. ould
ignore the constitutional and legal ques
tions that have been debated for several
days.
Washington, Jan. 8. The house
immediately after the approval of the
journal todav began the consideration
of the military appropriation bill
Chairman Hull began debate by a com
prehensive statement of the contents of
ine Din making appropriations ior : th. flrtnv uw . which carries i2.500.
the legislative, executive and judicial j om) mnrft tu..n ist VPJ1,
CApeiir-cs ui ine go ei u mnit, nan im
ported to the senate today. It carries
$30,855,834, a net increase of $225,450
over the amount as passed by the
house .
All propositions for raising the sal
aries of members of congress and mem
bers of the cabinet, including the pro
visions inserted bv the house increasing
the pay of cabinet members, the vice
president and speaker of the house to
$12,000 a year, were rejected. It is
expected an amendment will be offered
on the floor of the senate to restore
these items.
Other speeches were made by Slay
den, of Texas, on his bill to discontinue
the enlistment of negroes in the army
of the I" in ted States; by Zenor, of In
diana, against the ship subsidy bill and
by Gaines, of Tennessee, who spoke in
commemoration of the ninety-second
anniversary of the battle of New Or
leans.
President Makes Special Recommend
ation to Congress
Washington, Jan. 14. President
Ro isevelt Saturday sent to congress a
special message, on the flooding of the
Imperial valley in Southern California,
in which ho severely condemns the
methods of the California Development
company, which owns the irrigation
works, and recommends that the gov
ernment buy out this company and its
subsidiary companies, make a treaty
with Mexico to carry water through the
territory of that republic and construct
great irrigation works to cover the
whole lower valley of the Colorado and
to permanently control that stream.
He estimates the cost at $2,000,000, all
of which would be repaid by the settlers
in the same way as tinder the reclama
tion act. '
He begins by describing the situation
in the Imperial valley, as already pub
lished. He tells how the California
Development company dug a canal from
the river into the Salton Sink, passing
partly through Mexican territory.
He then tells how the river broke its
banks and flooded the valley, how the
S nit hern Pacific company advanced
an effort to money to the development company to
r -pair the break, receiving a majority
of stock as security, how (the Southern
Pacific closed the break last Novemler,
but how a sudden rise a month later
started the water again into the valley,
and says that if the break is not closed
before the spring floods in March all
the property values in the valley, with
6,000 to 10,000 population, will be
wiped out. He says that ultimately
the channel in the main stream will be
deepened up to and beyond Yuma, de
stroying the homes and farms there,
the great railroad bridge and the gov
ernment works nt Laguna dam. The
Southern Pacific, having already spent
about $2,000,000 for the protection of
its interests, declines further aid to the
development company, and has joined
the latter company and the settlers in
an appeal to the government to con
struct permanent works to restrain the
river.
The president says that if the river
is not put back into its natural bed, it
will not only do the further damage al
ready mentioned, but will leave in a
desert condition 700,000 acres of land
as fertile as the Nile valley, capable of
producing $100 a year per acre. This
area is capable of adding at least 350,
000 to the permanent population of
California and Arizona, and much of
the land will be worth $500 to $1,000
an acre, oi a total of $350,000,000 to
$700,000,000. lie savs the Southern
Pacific is now repairing levees to keep
out the high water due next March, but
permanent work is needed. He would
refund no money expended prior to No
vember 1, 1906, and would leave the
amount to be paid for work done since
that date for future consideration.
BLOCKS WAY
TO PATENTS
Western Men Do Not Like President's.
Timber Order.
Inquiry by Special Agents Ta' es Too
Much Time Vlany Bills Proposed
to Change Coal and Oil Land
Laws Sell Timber Only and Keep
Land.
Washington, Jan. 10. Late this af
ternoon, Mr. Gaines, of Tennessee, and
Mr. Malum, of Pennsylvania, were only
prevented lrom meeting in a personal
encounter by the intervention of mem
bers on the floor of the house. Mr.
Gaines was making a speech on his bill
to "dock'
from the
by both, sides of the chamler to hisev
Monday, January 7.
Washington, Jan. 7. President
Roosevelt's dismissal of the negro
troops was again the subject of conten
tion in the senate today, and indica
tions point to a protracted debate be
fore any of the pending resolutions on
the subject are voted on . Lodge devel
oped a new phase of the question by
presenting a resolution providing for
an investigation of the "affray" at
Brownsville and, by silence, conceding
members' pav for absence the authority of the president to take
house and was being twitted the action he did. Foraker accepted
j Culberson s amendment authorizing the
dent embarrassment. During his'sneech committee to visit Brownsville if it
he charged Mr. Mahon with being ah-j desired. His resolution was supported
sent from the house 95 per cent of the by Lodge in on address and opposed by
Farmers Use Corn for Fuel.
Spokane, Jan. 15. . Driven to ex
tremes by the scarcity and high cost
of coal, farmers in the vicinity of
Washtucna are burning corn on the
cob. One bushel of reorn is equal to
two of coal in price, and when used as
fuel it is little more expensive.
CONFER ON THE MESSAGE.
Mutual Water Companies of Imperial
Valley to Meet.
Imperial, Cal., Jan. 15. Chairman
H. N. Peck, of the joint committee of
the six mutual water cmopanies of the
Imperial valley recently aptointod
with a view to procuring means for the
settlers purchasing the property of the
California Development company, to
day sent a call to all directors of the
six companies to meet next Thursday
in conference 'in President Roosevelt's
message.
Jt is orohal'le that a water user as
sociation will be formed In curry on
negotiations for the purchase or to fa
vor government control in line with the
president's rocommeti'lat ions, pn.vid
ing the Reclamation service i willing
to make the concession from it usual
rules necessary to protect the rights of
the water users of the Jmjs rial valley.
Foraker, who followed, and spoke until
5:30 o'clock, giving notice then that he
would conclude tomorrow
time. Mahon immediately jumped to
his feet, declaring the statement a lie.
The two senators started for each other,
but were pulled apart before any dam
age was done.
While the army appropriation bill
was under consideration in the house
today an amendment was dopted appro-!
priating $250,000 for the construction facilities after a debate lasting most of
and maintenance of military and post , the day.
roads and trails in Alaska, to be ex-1 In presenting reasons why the bill
pended under the direction of the board should pass, Crumpacker, of Indiana,
Washington, Jan. 7. The house to
day passed a bill providing for judicial
review of the orders excluding persons
from the use of the United States mail
of road commissioners
The army appropriation bill, with
sundry amendments, was passed by the
house, and the fortifications appropria
tion bill was taken up, four hours being
given to general debate.
Wednesday, Jan, 9.
Washington, Jan. 9. The senate to
day debated La Folate's bill limiting
working time of railroad employes.
A tentative understanding was reach
ed that a vote on the general service
pension bill will le taken next Friday.
The Brownsville matter was postpon
ed because Tillman, who is indisposed,
its author, said the power given to the
postmaster general under the statutes
to issue fnfud orders was not at all an
administrative discretion. It rather
partook of the nature of a police power
for the regulation of the morals of the
people of the country. Crumpacker
contended that the whole fraud order
law was an unusual proceeding in that,
if it had leen confined to institutions
and practices that were essentially
fraudulent or were inherently bad and
criminal, such as green goods concerns
lotteries and the like, as originally con
templated by congress, there would be
no complaint against it. w
Train Hits Open Switch.
1.1 Paso, Tex., Jan. 15. Running at
a high rate of speed, Rick I "hi lid -a-senger
1 'ain No. I. which left here at
:.'; ye-terd;iv evening for Chicago,
iiit-i'Mi iiiiniiii iijH'ii fnrii ht r.arncv.
V M., l'll llliie. ho'tll of ; ':t.o curly
thi morning. Fhe .crson were killed ll.esh nwill built
and eight injured. iThe plan are now ready
Fence Order Bears Fruit.
Washington, Jan. 9. President
Roosevelt's order compelling removal
( f all fences from public land lias al
ready liorne fruit. Senator Burkctt, of
Nebraska, has introduced a bill autho
rizing the leasing of all public grazing
land under the direction of the secre
tary of agriculture, holders of leases to
have the privilege of fencing land so
obtained. The bill places no restric
tion on the amount of land that may be
leased bv any individual fir company
Let Them Go Away to Get Warm
Washington, Jan. 9. In view of the
fact that many hometead settlers are
said to be freezing in North Ihikota and
the rules of the department of the In
terior provide in many cases that resi
dence of the settlers shall be con I inuons,
Senator Ilansbrough has prepared a
resolution permitting the settlers leave
of absence for three months to extend
over the w inter jieriod, which absence
shall not interfere with their entry
rights. All homesteaders affected bv
PACKING TRUST COMPLETE.
All
in
Firms Except One Co.nbined
$500,000,000 Beef Merger.
Chicago, Jan. 14. That the merger
of the beef packing establishments of
the country, except Schwarzschild &
Washington, Jan. 12. Western men
in congress do not take kindly to Presi
dent Roosevelt's order bidding up every
public land entry, pending investiga
tion of each individual case by special
agent. The president, upon advice of
Secretary Hitchcock, made this order
in the expectation that congress, in or
der to relieve the congestion, would
hastily appropriate money to permit
the employment of a vast number of
special agents, but it seems that no
such liberality will bo shown if the
Western men adhere to their present
opinion. They are now, in most in
stances, inclined to believe that the
president's order was too sweeping and
that it will work more harm than good.
Mr. Hitchcock, however, is firmly con
vinced that this is the only way to
head off fraudulent entries. But as
one experienced Westerner said:
"Who is to guarantee the honesty of
several hundred special agents?"
Senator Ilansbrough, chairman of
the committee on public lands, will
renew his fight to secure the repeal of
the timber and stone act and the sub
stitution of a law authorizing the sale
of government timbe r at not less than
its appraised value. Mr. Hansbrougli
has drawn a new bill which shall re
serve to itself title to all public timber
land and sell only the timber. The
bill stipulates that persons residing in
the immediate vicinity of any govern
ment timber land may take, without
cost, not to exceed 100,000 feet, B. M.,
in any one year, for their own use for
farm and domestic! purposes. Timber
land shall remain open to entry under
the mining and coal lnd laws, and
timbered land chiefly valuable for stone
shall be subject to entry under the
placer mining laws. Persons devel
oping claims on forest land may cut
therefrom not to exceed 100,000 feet,
B. M., in any one year, provided they
need such timber in developing and
operating their claims.
Coupled with and very similar to the
legislation providing for the disposal of
public timber are the various bills now
pending propping to regulate the use
of coal, gas and oil on government land.
There are many bills for this pur
pose, all drawn along one general line.
In the main they propose that the .gov
ernment shall retain title to coal, oil
and gas bearing land and shall permit
the development of their resources on a
rovaltv basis, this land is now tied ur
Sulzberger, which has been predicted under "a sweeping withdrawal ordered
for several years, has Come to pass, is
declared in a morning paper. None of
the interests said to be concerned could
be reached for confirmation or denial
of t he report.
It is asserted that the negotiations
are completed and that arrangements
are now in progress by which territory
will be allotted to the several compa
nies interested in the alleged ileal, this
territory to be considered exclusive for
the purposes of trade. The tentative
capitalization is placed at $500,000,000.
Louis r . Swift, executive head of
Swift fc Company, is said to be the ac
credited bead of the combination, and
J. Odgen Armour is represented as de
sirous of retiring from active connection
with the packing business ' as soon as
he can arrange his affairs to that end.
Included in the merger are not only
the Swifts, Armours and Morrises; but
Libby, McNeill & Libby, the. Anglo-
American Provision Company, the Oma
ha Packing company, the Lipton Pack
ing company, Hammond Company, Con
tinental Packing company and Ilately
Bros. These minor companies are to
pass to the National Packing company,
and Edward Tilden is to be the execu
tive head of them, according to rumor.
by the president, and until some sort
of legislaiton is enacted it will be im
possible for private capital to get hold
of and develop the coal, gas and oil
resources on ay part of the public do
main. ALASKA LEADS THEM ALL.
but gives the preference right to home- ' these conditions are to makeapplication
steaders and settlers. j by affidavit.
Mone Money for Lighthouse Tender. I All Hit at La Folletle.
Washington, Jan. H. Thchouse to-1 Washington, Jan. 9. Criticism was
day favorably rcjiorted the bill increa-- I made in the senate yesterday of I lie li
ing the cost of a light house tender f r I'ollette bill limit ing the hours of pon
tile Thirteenth district to $2oo,Oon. tiniious employment f railway train
The s.im of $1 'O.Ooo was appropriated crews, and scleral letters from railway
for this vessel t the last session, but ' employe in opjiosit ion to the measure
the amount proved inadequate ow in" to ' were put in the record. The dinssion
the increased cost of materials and the wa tnrtic:it-l in bv Gallinger, who
lepirt merit whs unable to award Ihe'firM presenl-l a published criticism
contort. If tin- iM-ieling bill is l:iscd Ili-it he was emit nvori og in weaken the
tliia summer. rnii ire j amendment. Th in be de
I nicd.
Prompt Shipments of Livestock.
Washington, Jan. 14. Senator Cul
berson introduced a bill Satuiday to
require common carriers to furnish cars
for the shipment of livestock within
reasonable time. lie stateii that some
time ago he presented a memorial from
the Livestock association of Texas pray
ing for relief from car shortage; that
this memorial had gone to the commit
tee on commerce, but as yet no action
ad leen taken. Ilansbrough called
attention to the necessity of extending
the scope of the bill to cover shipments
of grain.
Doubles Forest Reserve.
Washington, Jan. 14. Secretary of
the Interior Hitchcock has withdrawn
('iii.'i.CiiHl acres of unalienated public
land in Western Colorado from all
forms of dispell under the public land
laws for an addition to Hie Uiicoinpiih
gre forest reserve. The hind include
:i part of I be I'licompaligre plateau and
;i part of the San Miguel valley. They
extend from a iiid south of Montrose
we-tward t the I m h i to lii r v of I'lah. The
a ldi'io:i coiupl isc" iibiiilt KIMI (Mill acres.
Mint Director Estimates Total Gold
Production for 1906.
Washington, Jan. 12. The director
of the mint today made a preliminary
estimate of the production of god and
silver in the United States during the
calendar year HMM!.
Of the more important increases in
the production of gold as compared
with li15 Alaska stands first with a
gain of $(i,31i,000; Nevada com?s next
with $45,00,000, and Arizona third,
with $523,000. Colorado shows a loss
in gold production of $2,!)00,000 and
California a loss of $504, UK).
In silver production Montana shows
a loss of 2,000,000 ounces, Colorado a
loss of i5.000 ounces and Utah a gain
of 2,217,000 ounces. The figures for
all the states sho a net gain in gold
production of $7,520,700 and a net
gain in silver production of 82,100
ounces.
No Trace of Bodies.
Pittsburg, Jan. 12. Fifteen or more
men were completely incinerated in six
feet of molten metal in last night's ex
plosion at the Jones &. Lnughlin Steel
company's furnaces, according to an
investigation made today. Tons of the
fiery substance were showered over 40
workmen. Of these between 15 and 20
cannot be found. Twelve dead bodies
have Wn recovered and 10 are in hos
pitals, frightfully burned. It is 1h
hcved that not a trace of the men en
gulfed in the hot metal ever w ill be
found.
Strwart Declines Land Office,
i, ,....,. M. Philip P..
Stewart, of Colorado, has notified the
pitMOi-iit tli.lt til-" Imi-Hh ss engagement
lire such I bat be will not In- able to ac
pt ihi- portion of ititiHui-Miopf r "f
the general land olhcc, to In made
vtH-niit bv the retirement of Commis-to-iiit
r Richards, March 4.
Con't Learn of Castro's Condition.
Caracas, Jan. 12. Nothing definit
regarding the illness of President Castro
has ileeloH-d here. The usual rumors
that he is in a dcsjierate condition are
current, but no one in an official caja
city will confirm them. The country
I is quiet. Friend of Vice President
Gomir. state that, in case be is called
to accept I he presidency by command
! of Cn"l ro on account f ibe latter'
death, he will fulfill all foreign obliga
tions to the letter.
Trmwee Backs Up Roosevelt.
Niifhville, Tetm., Jan. 12. The
1' "f n prefM-ntal iven s b.pted a joit.t
rt-ohitioti ir .r-ing the a-t ion of pres
ident R'Kisevell in di"ini-siiig tlx IkiI
lal ion .f negro soldier in coiit,-iion
wilh the ri4iiig at r n"ville.