Heppner gazette., March 07, 1907, Image 7

OREGON LEGISLATIVE PRO
CEEDINGS IN BREVITY
MUST NOT OWN PROPERTY.
PASSED IMPORTANT BILLS.
j kindly by all jurorH hereafter, for he
secured the enactment of a law raising
the foes of jurors from $2 to $3 a day.
Senator Hart of JSaker was author of
the bill which placet? restrictions upon
the pasturing of foreign sheen in Ore- ! Imlilinir
r-j i i n
What the Legislature Accomplished
During the Session.
Salem Many important bills passed
both houses of the Oregon legislature
at the session just ended, and a consid
erable number were defeated. The ap
propriations are very large amounting
to some $3,500,000 and no bills passed
raising tiny considerable amount of rev
enue by new methods.
Several bills for new revenue wero
defeated. Among them was that of
Representative Heals to tax timber
holdings on the basis of musings sub
mitted to assessors by their owners, i
Another was that prepared by the late
tax commission and introduced by Rep
resentative Freeman taxing public ser
vice corporations on their capitalized
net earnings. A third was that of Rep
resentative Settlcmier for collection of .
taxes on land that had escaped taration
in the last six years.
One of the defeated measures of large
moment was that of the Portland board
of trade, for control of the water pow
ers of the state. Another was that for
a $60,000 appropriation for extension
of the portage road to The Dalles.
First of all the enactments was that
for a railroad commission. The bill
for this law was introduced by Repre
sentative Chapin and the three commis
sioners already have been appointed
T. K. Campbell, C. B. Aitchison and
Oswald West.
Representative Jones, of Polk, is
father of a successful bill appropi iating
$300,000 for free locks at Willamette
falls, contingent on the national gov-1
ernment's appropriating an additional ,
sum sufficient to provide the locks and j
maintain them. I
Representative Katon, of Lane, has
the credit of having secured enactment
of a bill granting to the State universi-1
tv an annual standing appropriation of
$125, 000.
Representative Jackson, of Douglas,
introduced a successful bill appopriat
ing $100,000 for National Guard arm
ories. Representative Perkins, of Jackson,
has the credit of securing for fruitmen
a law to prevent false labeling and
branding of packed fruit, and of anoth
er law to prevent false marking of nur
ery stock A third bill of his permits
oichardists to kill birds that destroy
rops, but this bill is in danger of a
veto.
Representative Slusher is father of a
stuvessful bill creating a sheep commis
sion and a sheep inspector, and author
izing inspectors of the bureau of animal
industry to exercise police powers in
the state for eradication of sheep scab.
Representative Settlemicr's bill pass
ed both houses to appropriate $100,000
for the Seattle exposition in 1 10!) .
Representative Edwards was pro
moter of an important enactment to
raise the per capita tux of school dis
tricts to $7.
Representative Vawter of Jackson
liad a bill passed to create one board of
regents for all the normals, also to ap
propriate $40,000 for the Ashland nor
mal. Representative Barrett of Uma
tilla did the same for the Weston nor
mal, in the sum of $35,000. Senator
Lougharv secured enactment of his bill
providing $3(i,00() for Monmouth and Wheat Club, 70c; bluestem,
Representative Jackson put a successful , valley, iOe; red, b8c
California Legislature Passes a Bill
Against Orientals.
Sacramento, Cal., Mar. 1. The low
er house of the legislature today passed
a sweeping anti-Japanese and anti
Chinese measure, Introduced by Assem
blyman Drew, of Fresno. The bill is
known as the "anti-alien property
bill." It is aimed at the
REORGANIZING
CANAL BOARD
sou, b, io protect uregon sneepmen. Japanese and Chinese property owners
Senator Malarkey introduced three ' in this state and is intended to prevent
measures wmcn win De oi considerable them from acquiring and owning prop
importance. One limits the hours of ' erty for a longer period than five years
labor of trainmen, another makes the In urging the passage of the bill
husband's courtesy the same as a wife!8 Drew stated that since January 1 of
this year one-third of the property
Only One of Old Members to Remain
In Present Position.
LET NO CONTRACT.
dower, and the third provides for the
building of a bridge across the Willam
ette at Oswego, thus affording the
means of taking the trains off Fourth
street in Portland.
I senator juuiic ot Jackson rernem
: bered the widows and orphans by se
curing the enactment of a law which
raises from $3,000 to $7,5000 the
amount that maj be recovered for acts
causing death.
I Senator Cake framed the bill which
I has passed providing for the appoint
Iment of two Supreme court commission
ers to assist the court in catching up
with its woik.
Senator Kay pleased the merchants
everywhere by securing the enactment
of a law which provides for the garnish
ment of wages of public employes.
Such employes are very often judgment
proof without such a law.
Senator Schofield fathered a number
of fithery laws, and has had the census
law amended so that it is now suited
to modern conditions.
Senator Nottingham interested him
self in the improvement of public morals
as usual, and secured the enactment of
a law for the punishment of persons
guilty of enticing away children under
! 18 years for immoral purposes.
Senator Bingham was father of a new
' forest fire law, the efficiency of which
has yet to be shown. It requires the
burning ot tlie debris of logging opera
tions, and there were conflicting opin
ions as to the practical working of the
measure.
Other noteworthy house bills enacted
were the following:
II. 13. 30, Burns For pure foods and
regulating branding of same.
H. B. 53, Revision of laws commit
tee For recording conditional sales
of machinery.
II. B. 57, Beals Fees for corpora
tions capitalized for more than $1,000,-
.000.
I II. B. 61, Jones of Lincoln and Polk
. For convention of district school
I boards.
II. B. 75, McCue Providing clerk of
master fish warden.
II. B. 84, Freeman Authorizing dis
position of estate as directed by will
I without order of Probate court.
J II. B. 85, Freeman Assessing bank
stock.
I 11. B. 80, Freeman Defining powers
of county boards of equalization.
I II. B. 88, Freeman Levy and collec
tion of taxes.
II. B. 89, Freeman More efficient
system for assessment and taxation.
II. B. 5(7, Steen For display of
United States flag on school buildings.
H. B. 101, McCue Appropriating
$5,000 for patrol ooats for master fish
warden.
transfers in Fresno had been to Japan
ese.
The bill provides that any alien who
does not become a citizen of the United
States shall acquire and hold title to
land in this state for not more than
five years. If within that time the
alien does not become a citizen, the
district attorney shall compel the sale
of his land or houses. Japanese and
Chinese are not specifically named, but,
as they cannot become citizens, the
bill is aimed directly at them and pre
cludes them from owning property for
more than five years. The measure
also provides that no :ontract, agree
ment or lease of real estate for a long
er period than one year shall be made
to any alien and any lease, agreement
or devise of real estate made to any
alien for a longer period ehall be null
and void.
The impression is given out that if
the bill reaches the govenor he will
sign it.
Friends of Olliwer Ask That He Be
Given Place, But President Is Not
Considering Him in the List of
New Appointees Change to Come
in April.
LABORATORY FOR NORTHWEST.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Agricultural Department Will Estab
lish One Soon.
Washington, March 1. In the near
future the department of Agricultuie
will locate a pure food laboratory in
some Northwestern city and make it
head quarters for the examination of all
food products imported into that section
from abroad. Investigations are now
being made to determine whether it
shall be located at Portland or Seattle.
Senator Bourne is urging the depart
ment to locate the laboratory in Port
land, but befoie this can be done Port
land must convince the department
that its food imports exceed those of
Seattle, or else offer adantages in the
way of quarters that cannot be obtained
at Seattle. The department desires to
locate the laboratory in a public build
ing.
It is of the greatest importance to
Portlai d to make a creditable showing,
for if the laboratory is located there
rather than at Seattle, it will have a
tendency to increase importations of
food products at that port, where they
can be properly examined, rather than
at other ports where there would neces
sarily be delay.
Mr. Bourne is looking to the chamber
of commerce to support him in his
efforts.
STICKS TO HERMANN.
rider on it appropriating $27,000 for
Drain. Representative Carter of Ben
ton s "cured passage of a $125, 000 ap
propriation for new buildings at the
Suite Agricultural college, and Senator
Johnson of a $75,000 appropriation for
maintenance.
Representative Reals is author of an
enactment creating the office of cheese,
lairy and creamery inspector, as dep
uty to the state dairy commissioner.
Representative Driscoll introduced
the bill for the act creating the Port of
'olumbia District of Multnomah, Co
lumbia and Clatsop counties, for regu
lation of towage and pilotage at the
mouth of the Columbia river.
Senator M. A. Miller, of Linn, has
to h is credit a compulsory education
law, which promises to be the most
effective measure of the kind ever pro
pose! 1 in Oregon.
Among the most important senate
bills enacted was the Haines tanking
bill, which, though acknowledged to be
imperfect, is believed to be a wise
measure for the reason that it is the
beginning of state supervision of bank
ing, i
Senator M. G. Miller, of Linn, was
the author of a bill that, has passed
lioth houses providing for the loaning
of surplus funds in the state treasury to
banks giving security and paying in
terest on daily balances. I
Senator F. J. Miller, of Linn-Maiion
secured the passage of bills for the es- j
tablishmcnt of an institution for the
feeble-minded, an institution for which j
there has lieen general demand in or
der to place under control a class of
cracked,
. 1, 14
timothy,
$9; grain
32835c
OatsNo. 1 white. $20: era v. $28.50.
Barley Feed, $22.50 per ton; brew
ing, $23; rolled, $23. 50 24 .50.
live $1.45(3)1.50 per cwt.
Corn Whole. $24.50:
$22.50 per ton.
Hay Valley timothy, No
15 per ton; Eastern Oregon
$1C18; clover, $9; cheat,
hay, $910; alfalfa, $14.
Butter Fancy creamery,
per pound.
i Butter fat First grade cream, 33l2'c
' per pound ; second grade cream, 2c less
per pound.
Kggs Oregon ranch, 1819e per
I dozen.
Poultry Average old hens, 14
15c per pound; mixed chickens, 14
14S,c; spring,1314c; old roosters, 9
10c; dressed chickens, 1415c; tur
keys, live, 16c; turkevs, dressed.
choice, 1820c; geese, live, 910c;
ducks, lfl18e;.
Apples Common, 75c $1.25 per
box; choice, $1.502.50.
Vegetables Turnips, $11.25 per
sack; carrots, $11 .25 per sack ; beets,
$1.251.50 per sack; horseradish, 7
8c per pound; sweet potatoes, 3iac
per pound; cauliflower, $2.50 per doz
en; celery, $3.503.75 crate; sprouts.
9c; rhubaib, 11c per pound; asparagus,
17c per pound.
Onions Oregon, $11.15 per hundred.
Potatoes Oregon P.urbanks,
$1.40; common, 75c$l.
Veal Dressed, 549c per pound.
Beef Dressed bulls, 2j3s'c per
pound; cows, 4 bv; country
Former Private Secretary Says Good
Things for Defendant.
Washington, March 1. The prosecu
tion in the trial of Representative Her
mann consumed today in a futile at
tempt, to break down the evidence given
yesterday by Elliott P. Hough, former
private secretary to the defendant.
which was most favoiable to Hermann.
Hough had been put on the stand by
the prosecution with the expectation
that his testimony would lie damaging
to the defendant, and District Attorney
Baker was incensed that he should give
evidence so much in Hermann's favor
as his statements yesterday that Her
mann and John A. Benson, who is un
der indictment for alleged land frauds,
were not god friends; that, if official
letters got into Hermann's private
books it was through his fault; and
that it had lieen the custom of all out
going commissioners previous to Her
mann's time to take their private let
terpress copybooks with them.
ChristTian H. Muller and Alexander
K. Foster, who had been messengers in
i the land oflice under Hermann and who
destroyed the letter press copybooks by
his ireciton, testified to the part thev
had played. Mr. Muller received an
'order from Hermann three weeks be
fore the latter retired to take the letter
books, about 35 in mini tier, from Her
mann's private room.
Washington, Feb. 28. The president
conf rred at the White House today
with Secretaries Taft and Root regard
ing the details of the reorganization
scheme for the Panama canal work. It
is understood that Colonel Haines and
Benjamin Harrod, civil engineers, both
members of the present commission
will retire. Admiral Endieott, the on
ly remaining member of the old com
mission, will be retained, as the law re
quires tnat one naval civil engineer
shall be included in its membership.
Majors Goethals, Gaillard and Sie
bert, who were named as members of
the commission, will receive salaries
considerably in excess of those they
now receive, namely, $4,000 a year. It
is the intention to divide among them
the salaries now paid to Messrs. Shonts
and Stevens, aggregating fw.ooo per
annum, as long as they are engaged in
canal work.
It is stated that Chief Engineer Stev
ens resigned with the statement that he
would remain in charge of the isthmus
until his successor arrived and was
thoroughly initiated into the new duties
and prepared to take them over. It is
probable tbe transfer can be effected
early in April.
It will be necessary for the army en
gineers to make a personal inspection
of every part of the canal construction
work before any determination can be
made as to the method of conducting
work in the future. The president's
letter yesterday indicated that there
might be a recurrence to the contract
plan, but even if that should be the
case, tne officers will hnd themselves
able to manage the work in a supervis
ory capacity, just as they now do seve
ral of the large ri ver and haibor projects
in execution in this country.
Telegrams were received at the
White House today from the South,
asking the president to name W. J. Ol
liver, whose bid for the construction of
the canal was rejected, as a member of
the Isthmian Canal commission. Mr.
Taft said tonight that he did not believe
the president was considering such ap
pointment. Mr. Olliver said he would
not accept the place if it were tendered
him. When he has been officially no
tified that the bid of the Panama Canal
Construction conmpanv has been reject
ed, Mr. Olliver w ill give out a statement
for publication.
President Decides to Let Army En
gineers Dig Canal.
Washington, Feb. 27. By an order
addressed to Chairman Shonts of the
Isthmian Canal commission today,
President Roosevelt, as far as lay in
hie power under existing law, trans
ferred to the engineer branch of the
army the responsibility for the further
construction of the Panama canal. He
also formally recorded the abandon
merit, for the present at least, of the
project of having the canal work done
by contract on the percentage system
Anottier feature was me announce
ment of the resignation of John F
Stevens as engineer in chief of canal
construction. Mr. Shonts is in New
York, where he will tomorrow preside
at a meeting of the directors of the
Panama Railroad company, of which
he is president, and will formally re
sign that office
The president intends that there
shall be an entire reorganization of the
commission with three army officers of
the engineer corps as its leading mem
bers, who are to have charge of the en
gineering featuree of the canal work
The chairman and engineer in chief of
the commission will be Major G. W.
Goethals. His associates will be Major
DuB. Gaillard and Major William L.
Siebert, to rank in the order named.
These officers are all comparatively
young, ambitious and energetic.
Senator Joseph S. C. Blackburn, of
Kentucky, who will retire from the
United States senate on March 4, is to
be made a member of the reorganized
commission.
BURNED HER
MANN LETTERS
Receiver Bridges Pecelved Many Let
ters From Commissioner.
HELPED LAND THIEVES.
HERMANN SCORES.
Did
fancy,
people not lit for the asylum but who steers, 5 vi6,Uc
ought not to be at large. I Mutton Dressed, fancv. 8(rt9e ner
pound; ordinary, 6fft7p.
Senator Sichel fathered two bills
that will have considerable effect. One
provides for the working of husbands
who fail to supjiort their families, and
the payment of $1.50 a day to the fam
ily for their support. Tbe other pro
vides a uniform insurance jiolicy.
Senator Coshow will be rememliered
Board Fixes Terms.
Salem The state land lioard has
made an order permitting a numlier of
holders of school land certificates pur
chased from A. T. Kelliher to sect re
title to the land by surrendering their
certificates and making new purchases.
In doing ho they must make affidavit
that they dont a I read; own 320 acres of
land of that character. This in a
n icnsu re enforces the legal requirement
that only 320 acres of pchool land shall
be sold to one person.
Pork Dressed, fifa 9c per pound.
Hops 8 V:310Lac lMr pound, accord
ing to quality.
Wool Eastern Oregon average lest,
13 18c, according to shrinkage; val
ley, 20 23c, according to fineness;
mohair, choice, 27 30c per pound.
Goes to Naval Academy
Tort land Clarence W. Walls, has
received an appointment from Senator
Mu I key to fill a vacancy at the United . This action was determined on at a con
States Naval academy at Annanolia. ' ferenee between the nresiilpnt an. 4t.
Beatty to Continue Duties.
Boise, Idaho, March 1. "In answer
to a telegram received from the attor
ney general asking me to withhold mv
resignation for a time," said Judge J.
II. Beatty, of the United States District
court, today, "I sent a telegram stat
ing that I would willingly continue the
duties of my office until after the March
term. If by that time my successor
has not lieen named, I shall probably
urge the people in Washington to push
matters." The telegram to Judge Beat
ty arrived some days after his resigna
tion had started for Washington.
Stands bv Wickersham.
Washington, March 1. It vn an
nounced today that the president w uld
not pond the nomination of Judge ,Iam s
Wickersbam for the judgeship in the
Third Alaska district to the senate this
session, but will give him a recess ap
pointment. As soon as circumstances
will permit, a suitable person will le
sent to Alaska for further investigation
Not Friendly With Benson; Only
as O her Commissioners.
Washington, Feb. 28. Two import
ant points for the defense developed to
day in the trial of Representative Her
mann. One was that Hermann was not
on friendly terms with John A. Benson,
the San Francisco real estate dealer now
under indictment for alleged land frauds,
the other that Hermann's predecessors
in the land office had all, with one ex
ception, removed their private letter
press copy books from the oflice when
they retired.
Mr. Worthington for the 'defense
scored his two points in tbe cross-examination
of Elliott P. Hough, former pri
vate secretary to Hermann. In answer
to questions, Mr. Hough said that upon
one occasion Benson came to see Her
manns the land office and complained
bitterly at the action of the land oflice
in not allowing his claim for a survey
made in California. The survey was
under a $50,000 contract. The land
office held that the claim was fraudu
lent in that the alleged survey had nev
er been made. Benson was very angry,
and Hermann, during the interview,
became incensed.
Informer About Frauds Betrayed bv
Hermann,
Washington, Feb. 27. Interest In
the trial of Representative Hermann
was revived today by the introduction
in evidence of letters written . him in
1901 by Benjamin T. May of La
Grande, calling his attention to specific
land frauds in Oregon and a later letter
criticizing Hermann for omitting to
make an investigation of the alleged
frauds, and also for having made known
to interested parties the name of the
informer.
After their identification by May,
the letters were read to the jury. The
first was from May to Hermann and in
formed him that sawmill owners were
securing title to public land in the
Blue mountains by fraud. Their plan
was to get an employe to file on a cer
tain tract and, when the claim was
proved up, the employe was to deed the
property over to them and receive $50
for his work. One firm kept a man
employed to look out for the best tim
ber land and to secure it in this man
ner for hie firm. In the year preceding
the writing of this letter May charged
that this firm had placed on record
about 60 deeds secured in this manner.
May concluded his letter with the state
ment that he was a poor laborer and
had no ax to grind and only desired to
keep out land grabbers.
Two Found in Desk One Mentions
Agee Conspirac Judge Stafford
Overrules Motion to Dismiss the
Case for Lack of Evidence and
Trial Continues.
Washington, Feb. 26. Justice Staf
ford today overruled the motion of the
defense in the trial of Representative
Binger Hermann to take the case from
the jury and dismiss the charge on tbe
ground of fatal variance between the
indictment and the evidence be'ore the
grand jury. Hearings were resumed.
The trial was halted last Thursday,
when Mr. Worthington for the defense
made a motion on the evidence submit
ted by Hermann's former secretary,
I'o lgh, as to his testimony before tlie
grand jury, Mr. Worthington also
argued that the prosecution could not
adduce evidence of conspiracy on the
part of Mr. Hermann with others to
defraud the government out of public
land in order to show a motive for the
destruction of records, as alleged by the
prosecution, on the ground that Her
mann was not on trial for conspiracy.
After hearing the argument on Thurs
day, Justice Stafford adjourned the trial
until today, in order to consider the
points made by the defense.
J. T. Bridges, ex-register of the land
office at Roseburg, testified that he had
received many letters from Hermann of
a private character that he had destroy
ed. Two were found in his desk when
the desk was broken open at the time
he was suspended in 1905. One of
these mentions the name of Agee, who
is identified by the government with
what has been designated as the "Agee
conspiracy. It was ldentihed by Mr.
Bridges, District Attorney Baker stat
ing that he desired to show the inti
mately friendly relations existing be
tween them. He further said that this
transaction in which Agee was involved
took place while Hermann was at the
head of the land oflice, and that he
should have knowledge of it.
WATCH SEVERAL SUSPECTS.
HARRIMAN EXPLAINS.
Petition 45 Feet Long.
Washington, Feb. 28. Senator An
keny today presented to the senate a
petition 45 feet long from the lumlier
manufacturers of Washington, uiging
an immediate amendment to the rail
road rate law providing for reciprocal
demurrage. The petition stated that
$30,000,000 worth of lumber is now
awaiting shipment in Washington and,
because of the failure of railroads to
handle it, mills have closed down and
15.000 men have been thrown out of
employment. It is too late to pass any
such legislation, however.
Tells Interstate Commerce Commis
sion a Few Things.
New York, Feb. 27. An assertion by
E. II. Harriman that Stuyvesant Fish
was deposed from the presidency of the
Illinois Central because of misconduct
as to the funds of the company was a
leading feature of today's session of the
Interstate Commerce commission. Mr.
Harriman was the only witness of the
day, the events brought out by his tes
timony making the hearing a memor
able one.
Other features of Mr. Harriman 's
testimony follow:
A continued refusal to answer ques
tions relating to individual stock trans
action. Explanations of the transfer of 300,
000 shares of Southern Pacific stock to
William G. Rockefeller during the at
tempt of James R. Keene to secure con
trol of the road and of the delayed an
nouncement of the dividends on Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific.
Attempts of the government to show
that the Union Pacific charges unfair
rates, stifles competition in the vast
territory traversed by its lines and its
dividend of 10 per cent and its expend-
! iture of $240,000,000 on betterments
came from an unfair toll on its patrons.
Secret Service Men Have No Clew to
Identity of Thief.
Chicago, Feb. 26. Although a score
of detectives are at work on the case,
the theft of $173,000 from the sub-
treasury in this city last Wednesday
seems as far from solution as the day
on which the robbery was committed.
The general impression prevails that
the thief must have been a government
emplove, and several of these men are
being closely watched, but, as far as
known tonight, no tangible evdienct
has been discovered.
Among those under surveillance 13
George W. Fitzgerald, who was in
charge of the teller's cage from which
the money was abstracted, but he in
sists that he has no knowledge of how
the money disappeared.
MAY STOP FIGHTING.
Only One Dredge for Coast Harbors.
Washington, Feb. 28. All Oregon
anil Washington items in the river ami
harbor bill were agreed to by the con
fernee committee, with the exception of
the senate amendment authorizing the
construction of a dredge for exclusive
use in harbors along the Oregon coast.
The chief engineers stated that one
dredge would be ample for the harliors 'traded with
of Ixith the states and on bis recom- Coal & Coke
mendation the senate amendment was
knocked out.
Miners Vote for Advance.
Butte. Mont., Feb. 27. The vote of
the Miners' union on the increase of
wage scale resulted 2.349 in favoi and
1,06S against, the new scale of $4 to
take effect May 1 . Many miners did
not vote. Tiie mines of Butte will con
tinue in operation, notwithstanding the
demand, but development work in all
of the Amalgamated properties will
cease. Officers of the union are em
phatic, however, that there will be no
strike. Companies will devote all time
and energy to taking out ore and mak
ing copper.
United States or Mexico Threaten to
Intervene in War,
Washington, Feb. 26. Unless Nica
ragua and Honduras speedily agree to
arbitrate their ditfieultiesin response to
the suggestion of the Unite! States and
Mexico, it is not improbable that inter
vention will be resorted to in order to
bring an end to the present hostilities.
It became known today that within the
last day or two a second note was sent
to the presidents of Nicaragua and Hon.
duras, in effect conveying this threat.
No replies have been received and,
while in official circles tbe hope is ex
pressed that further bloodshed may be
averted, there is an underlying belief
that it will be necessary for either the
L'nited States or Mexico to step in and
force an arbitration.
Md. Mr. Walls is a nat
having leen liorn at Prineville 18 years
ago. 1 lis friends are confident "that
he will have no trouble in passing
the entrance examination. This
torney General Bonaparte.
Favors Philippine Bank Bill.
Washington, March 1. The house
committee on insular affairs today de-
is io i ne neiii in this city April 16 next cided to make a favorable report on the
liv Hip I niAl Ktatiu Pi,.;i c-..:.. ... . . '
v.,.. uiu- i nuippme agricultural Hank bill as
I passed by tbe senate.
mission.
Fever Prostra'es Crew.
Norfolk, Va., Feb. 28. The battle
ship Connecticut, proceeding from
Southern waters to New York with an
epidemic of typhoid fever among her
crew, was in communication with Nor
folk by wireless telegraph tonirht when
off the Virginia capital. A message
from the Connecticut save 15 of the
,men stricken with typhoid are in a
critical condition.
Returning to Coal for Fuel.
Pittsburg, Feb. 27. Tbe Southern
Pacific Rnilroad & Steamship Co. and
the St. Ixiuis Gas company have eon-
the Monongahela River
company for $1,000,000
worth of coal. The largest contract
was secured from the Southern Pacific
company, which contracts for 250,000
tons to be delivered at its wharves at
New Orleans The order means a lv
pinning of the end of oil as fuel in New
Orleans.
Steamer Empire at Old Game.
Washington, Feb. 26. Advices re
ceived by the State department today
through Minister Cor ea of Nicaragua are
to the effect that the small steamer
Empire, which in the past has figured
conspicuously in filibustering expedi
tions, is being utilized for the trans
portation of munitions of war from
Salvador to Honduras. Minister Corea
will request this government to have
the steamer Newport intercepted by the
cruiser Chicago, believing that she car
ries supplies ultimately intended for
Honduras.
B;g Air Ship Ready to Ply.
San Francisco, Feb. 26. The Exam
iner says a new flying machine, ar
ranged to carry 15 persons, is now
ready at Pleasanton to start on its ini
tial voyage. This machine measures
225 feet in length, and has a diameter
cf 40 feet. The frame of the structure
is built of 18, (KM) feet of aluminum.
The six propellers are moveable and
adjustable. The engines located within
the ship drive the propclleis, which
are eight feet in diameter.
Two-cent Fare is Law io Indiana.
Indianapolis, Feb. 27. Tbe governor
today signed the 2-cent railroad fare
act. It ha no emergency clause, and
jpors into effect with the publication of
the new laws about May or June.
Bandits Get Big Plunder.
El raso, Tex., Feb. 26. Bandits
raided the hacienda of Jeus Urangan
Salenz in the village of Durango, Mexi
! co, Sunday night. After making pri--'
oners of Salenz and his servants, tbe
'bandits robbed his safe of $7,tn0 in
gold and gathered up many thousands
of uollats' worth of jewelry and plate,
destroying all they could not carry off.
Officers are searching the mountains for
the roblt'is.