KHJIIT1I YKAIl. INDKl'KNDMNCK, I'OI.K COUNTY, OHKCON, AIXHJST S, l'JOl. MJMRKi: 30 i i n ,vr inih:i'i;ni)i:m i; Popular Society tihcs 1 ; uriiou l llic Plelnit'Miie ( tpiiiill j Tom it, SMiiiilny, AlH',llNt I I, The Knights mill Ladies of Se curity, a popular oiu uizittion ol thi city, will give a grand railroad cxeuri-ion Id I utU'iuiin:H, Or,, August II, t the low rate. of-tT lor t he round trip. Independence is u picturesque eountrv town on the Went Side line of tun Southern Pacific, surrounded by waving fields ami shady forests. It is a good place to k ft cool on a warm day uinl tliH warm spell in now on. It uboiind in ideal sports for small picnic parlies ami no doubt a number of persons will club to gether in small parties ami spend it pleasant tiny in tliu green. This is tin- lirKt excursion from Portland to Independence, ll"I this affords those, who participate an oppor tunity to see something new. Hilhoro, Forest drove and Mc MiunviJle will also win) crowds of excursionist to the grounds, and it i anticipated that between 3(XKJ ami 4000 people will assemble in Independence on thut day. Tim place in recognized a b beautiful country retreut for rent and reerea tion. Added to the pleasures will be music and other entertainments. Bind from Portland aud Other places represented on that day will vio with each other in displaying their proficiency in discoursing wmt f U of d.inic , , TraiiiH leave Union depot atS:15 A M., returning leave Indepen dence at 5 1'. M. Tickets can be secured from members and lit the depot Sunday morning. It in now several weeks since iho Portland people have had the opportunity to attend a good railroad excursion, ami it is therefore safe to Bay that with the Knights and Ladies of Security at the helm the excursion to Independence will be oho of the most liberally attended excursions of the season. Saturday Evening Telegram. . - 8UNOAY X HOT DAY. The Mercury Iteclies the High est Point In Several Years. Sunday wan what Oregon people would call a hot day. In fact, it was the hottest day Oregon has seen in many years. The mercury registered about 102 degrees in the shade during the hottest part of the day. There wuu a breeze all day and while it was warm it wan not the hot firey blast that the Kant experiences, iu fact, eastern people would consider Sunday a typical sutnuier Sunday in which to enjoy themselves, while Oregon was saying, "ohl the heat; is it not awful?" Monday was alBO a warm day, but not as warm as Sunday, while Tuesday was just nice and comfortable. Woodmen From Airlie. Special from Alrllu. Twenty Woodmen from this place attended the great initiation at Portland last Saturday. 1406 applications were received and over 1000 candidates were on the platform and obligated at one jime. In the drilling contest the Multnomah camp was the winner. Wapato camp, of Gaston, caused the most laughter by drilling hh "hav-enerM." (Jeorge Washington camp, in our opinion, had the most, beautiful uniforms ol any team nreent. The eXcielscs were union. hi' broiighniit, A Pretty WfilriliiK. One of the prettiest weddings of Polk county occurred at the resi dence of Mr. Humphrey Best, of Monmouth, l"t Tuesday evening ut 8 o'clock, the occasion being the inamageof Mr. and Mrs. Best's daughter, Tillie, to Mr. Charles II. Zurcher, of Wallowa county, Ore gon. The event was one of unusuul beauty and elegance. Culture and skill had beautifully decoiuled the parlors of the home with lovely Vines uiiil ornaments. Everything conspired to render the sjciio at tractive and impressive. At the appointed hour the biidal puity marched into the parlor, where the contracting parties took their place under u wreathed arch of entwined vines. Here the Rev. 10. J. Thomp son, 1). J).,' of Independence, pro nounced the solemn service that made Miss liesl and Mr. Zurcher husband and wife. The bride was attired iu a Mode shade of silk, trimmed with elegant lace, and touched with pink, hold ing in her hand a large and lovely boquet ol white carnations. The groom wore the conventional black. Mis Best is well known as one the" -MunninE voune huh-t (i Polk county, a graduate of the Suite Normal school and a person of line culture, character and at tainments. Mr. Zurcher is a young man ol most excellent reputation and business qualifications, at pres ent county clerk of Wallowa county in this state, where the happy couule will make their future 4 home. Quite a number of invited guests were nresent to witness the cere- - i mony and extend their hearjy con gratulations. At the close a very delicious wedding supper was served by Mr. and Mv&l, which was most happily enjoyea oy nil. The bust wishes of ft host of friends follow Mr. and Mrs.tfurcher to their new home. Council Proceedings. City council convened in regular session Tuesday evening " with President Kirkland in the chair and Oouncilmen Jones, Huntley, Jaspersou, Mills and . Kirkland present. Special committee on ordinance bill to authorize the recorder to assess the assessable property of the city of Independence, also authorizing the city marsFfiiJ" of said city to collect said tapces, made riiort on said bill On final. Das- nai7H of bill the council stood unan imous tor its acceptance. Special committee instructed to secure proper blanks and books for the recorder. The recorder was instructed to issue a warrant in favor pf the W. E. Cressy estate for $12.00, over pay city tax for 1900. On motion, the matter of run ning water pipes to the city park to supply the park with water was referred to committee on water and light. The following bills were allowed: Water & Electric Light Co., $50; A. J. Tupper, $49.75; II. M. Lines, $14.10. TIIK PltlZH WINMCKN. Thone Winaiitii I lie I'tl.ex in tlx ('irreNimiKleiice' 'on test on .Inly ;ti. The exceptional) line lint piii'h awurdi d otir eorieKpoi.den for their good work on the 10.NTKI husk took place I lit-1 WednesdM and is as follows: The oruan falls to Mrs. 10)1 )iividsou. at Calvary. The May Kodac falls to A. Ilulleck, of Monmouth. Th target rille was awarded I). M. Calhrealh, of Parker. N to The remainder of the prizes were awarded ti follows: Mrs. Bonnie Smith. Lewisville onu dozen best cabinet photos; H A. Clodleller. Perrvdale. double ink stand; C. E. Staats, Airlie kodac album; Mrs. A. Anderson Buena Vista, Lincoln fountain pen Monmouth, one nickel watch Crowley, one copyrighted book -To Have and To Hold." OtdHT TO UK DKVKLOPKI) All Indications Are Favorable to a Kleh Deposit of Oil Under the Polk County Hills. What would California have amounted to without the discovery of gold? What would have been the fate of the Transvaal if diamonds had not been found at Kimberly, or gold in the Rand? What was it thrift Pennsyl vunia upon ths n'uice i ..f the whole world but the discovery of her im mense oil fields? What has made the Alaskan fields the Mecca of an anxious world but the discovery of her ex baustless mines of precious metals? What does any territory amount to unless within its borders man discovers some vast and indispens able utility? The wealth of a world might lie dormant through the ages were it not for the brains and handicraft of humanity that unveils the hid den resources nature has been storing up for forgotten centuries. Why should Oregon be minus these wonderful fountainsof wealth when all the surrounding terri tories are developing rich and bountiful supplies of the rarer com modities that go to enrich and comfort mankind? Nature is no niggard; she hides her stores carefully that they may not waste by corrosion, by evapora tion, by llame; but she leaves the keys of her treasure vaults lying upon her surface, and gives forth the signs, that the initiated may read surely and safely, of the things she has accumulated for the good of man. One by one the treasures laid up in the heart of Oregon are being unfolded by the wisdom and skill of man; and now he has found still another gift of the wealthy the hands of kindly nature; oil indica tions of the most promising tort are plentiful in the beautiful and' fertile hills of Polk aud Marion counties. Experts have examined these signB by all the crucial tests that can be applied to the surface tokens and have not hesitated to declare the presence of oil in this Bection. It is one more discoVeryr Discovery is but a prelude to de velopment. Development is wrought by the timely faith and coiirag'-ous liihoi of fi i n ii, u i I lirincs its own reward. Only by that faith und labor can man ineusine the extent of the reward awaiting him. If the discovery of oil within the borders of Oregon shad be followed by ths exploitation thut the prob ability warrants, then the ext nt of the reward imiuriiig to her citi zens whose faith and courage shall effected the bounty, may prove in calculable and place the state it self upon ii pinnacle of prosperity never dreamed ol by ie-r most de voted sin and citizen. The stake is worth fighting for, and no sacri fice too great by those in whose ini mediate hands the trust is given; namely, the citizens of Polk and Marion counties. It is by the quick and business like appreciation of these wonder derful natural advantages that small and unpromising commun ities have sprung into universal fame and matchless commercial prestige, and it approaches close upon wilful fool-hardiness to per mit the passing of such an oppor tunity without devoting the neces sary brains, time snd money in rational investigation. If all eigne shall fail, then the living question vexing the people of these two great counties will re solve itself into a conviction that shall never be disturbed again; they will know for a certainty that there is n oil hand and rest content witfi life resources thav'are known mid utilized. If the signs upon which all are depending prove true, then who will regret, for an instant, the en terprise that shall bring millions of money and tens of thousands of people into the state, not only to build up a new and marvelous in dustry, but to iuvest in and ex ploit a thousand other lines as well? Every rule of local protection, every precept of business life, every principle of expediency, demands that Salem shall enter this new ., A v.wnti ioinrt daM o a iYa ha a A uu f.uuj...b center of the capital requisite iorT' , its proper development, as the die tributing point for the subsequent mass of business attendant uponf ... . f such discoveries, as tne nome oi the countless hundreds that will- gravitate to such a field; as the logical and pivotal station for stor age, sale and general manipulation of the product ot the oil territory, in fact as the market, principally. for all that shall enter into the commerce incident to such develop ment. Let every citizen of Salem think seriously of the venture that has been placed before him, and be careful, lest by the exercise of a too conseryative prejudice he turn aside '"a tide of fortune" the ebb of which he may deplore to the last day of his life. Jurisdictional lines mean but little in a crisis upon which impigns the destiny of a city and its environments; in the outcome of an oil discovery, Polk becomes Marion and Marion, Polk; and Salem still holds her pre eminent right to represent them both, and all contiguous to them, In the disposal of the vast business growing up out of the discovery, aud to ignore thi right, or fritter; tt away in indifference, were sui cidal. Salem Statesman. Till; MONMOUTH HA NO. Will PisjicrM the Music at the .State Fair at Naleni Tl.is Year Frank Lucas whs hi 1'ortiund last week and secured th contract to furnish the music for the statu fair this fall. The Monmouth band will be assisted by special talent from different places, but will be made up mainly of the band from Monmouth. The boys have quite a good reputation for furnisLing first-class music, and the music this year will probably be better, or at least as good as in former years. Marsh Gas Near .Salem. A report came into Salem yester day that natural gas had been found over in Polk county by a man who was digging a well, and all kinds of wild rumors and spec ulations iu regard thereto were in dulged in. Mr. O. L. Chapel, the oil man, went over to the place in the after noon, and found that there was verv little justification for the rumors. The find was on the place of Amos Wann, about three miles west of Salem. Mr. Wann was digging a well. He dug down through about ten feet of red dirt and then struck soft sandstone, through which be dug about twenty feet. The gas became so strong then that it was offensive, and he could not remain in the well. ' I,Ir." Chapertijulid,- tsWevefiuaV it was merely marsh gas. Abo..: sixty per cent of marsh gas is made up of natural gas, and the finding of this kind of gas may be a good indication of the existence of natural gas in the neighborhood. It may have seeped through the crevices for an unknown distance. The marsh gas was formed in 6ome past age by the action of the heat. Confined as it is in this eise in the loose sandstone, it will soon escape after the sandstone is ex posed to the air. Statesman. . The Oregon prune growers are Jnreoarinir to handle their large crop of prunes and the indications A are that it will be a heavy one. On all sides prune 'dryers are be ing overhauled and pu in condi tion to handle the crop and new prune-driers are everywhere going up. The indications ara that the market will be good, the demand from the East promising to be far greater than in the pattTew years, partially because of the drought in many parts of the country destroy ing the fruits, and in part because of a better knowledge and appre ciation by the people of the East, of the rich and finely flavored f'uits of the Oregon country. There is no doubt but that every prune will be saved and prepared for market this year, and a ready sale may be expected at a fair price for all that are placed upon the Eastern market in good con dition. Statesman. In a sound sleep, the soul goes hnnifl in renrnit tor strength, which could not else endure the wear and tear of life. Rahel. The rain falls upon the just and the nniust alike. The uniust. how ever, are quicker to steal umbrellas, and generally iare dcbi in a bdow er. Picayune.