een invited to alsike with the alsike food values. deliver the opening address As It perpetuated itself from node the Oregon Endeavorers are wide buds and bulbs and has no bloom, awake a big convention is antici­ flower, seed or sex. It grows in winter as well as summer and frost pated. does not interfere with or stop its The state oratorical contest Ire- tween the different colleges ol Ore­ growth. A sample of the clover gon will be held this year at Forest was sent to the Department of Agri­ Grove, the local tryout to be held culture at Washington, D. C , and January 26. This contest is one of J. M. Westgate, agronomist, writes the biggest intercollegiate events that it is one of the most interesting held in the state, and each college specimens that has come to the at­ is the host for the contest once in tention of the department.— Pacific Farmers’ Union. eight years. FORD Automobiles 1912 Four Door Touring Car $800.00 Fore Door Roadster $690.00 Three Passenger Roadster $690.00 Delivery Car $825.00 F. O. 3. Our aggressive State Superin­ tendent of Public Instruction has launched forth a new and laudable line of endeavor for Oregon pupils to pursue that should receive hearty encouragement from all. The fol­ lowing letter received by the Herald elucidates the work proposed and the prizes that are offered to en­ courage its promotion: Crews of men have been working in the Hood River orchards to clear the ice off the trees in order to save them A number of roofs have collapsed owing to the weight of the rain-soaked snow and great damage has been done in the sur­ rounding country. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of securities are ice-bound in the vaults of the ruined Equitable Life building in New York City as a result of the recent big fire. It is estimated that seven persons are dead, probably more, as several em­ ployees of the building are missing. Tenants of neighboring buildings have been ordered cut as it is fear­ ed the walls of the Equitable will collapse and cause much damage. M A R S H F IE L D FRED S LA G LE AGENT, COQUILLE, OREGON P E R Y E A R $ 1 .5 0 TO ENCOURAGE PUPILS IN DOMESTIC SCIENCE Mrs. Frederick Park Smith, 62 years old, was married at Alameda, California, last week to George L. Becker, who is 22 The groom's 16-year-old brother was best man, and the bride’s 16-year-old grand­ daughter was in attendance as bridesmaid. ALLIGATOR FARMING PAYS BIG PROFITS FOREST MONARCH FOR A POST OFFICE An alligator farm is the latest. A man near Los Angeles has 2000 in­ teresting natives of the Southern swamps, and it pays a big profit. Ckeechobee, who is said to be 50 years old, was captured three months ago in the everglades of Florida. He is kept as a valuable curiosity, although bis skin is use­ less as a commodity, siDce at the age of seventy the bumps on the back, used as ornamental leather, turn to bone. Although many alli­ gators are bred on the farm, because ol the slow growth the supply does not equal the demand. Each year several hundred are caught in Lou­ isiana and Florida and shipped to large farms, one in Los Angeles and one in Hot Springs, Ark. They are captured like wild horses, a lasso being thrown around the Deck by which they are pulled to land and bound to a plank. In tbe warm and congenial cli­ mate ol Southern California tbe con­ ditions are highly favorable to the raising o( tbe saurian. Tbe farm is laid out on the banks of a small mountain stream, which in its course has formed a number of lakes and ponds. These are surrounded by strong netting to enclose the groups separately, according to age. The older ones are fed at long intervals, about thirty-five pounds of fresh meat at a meal, from May until October, when they all stop eating and hibernate for tbe winter. Some have already gone into their winter homes, long tunnels running under ground, and the visitor may see a row of beads like logs along tbe banks of the stream. About June the alligators become more sensitive to disturbance, as tbe females then begin nesting. They bellow if approached and make much noise generally. The female fashions her nest by scraping together with her hind feet a pile of rubbish, comprising sticks, rushes and mud. Here she depos­ its from thirty to sixty long, narrow eggs, completely concealing them, and if not interfered with stands on guard until they ate hatched by the heat of the sun. On the farm Ilia nests are emptied as soon as the animal has completed laying, and the eggs are taken to the incubators to be hatched. Great care is given to this part of the industry. Everything from tanning to man­ ufacturing articles made from the skins are done in Los Angeles. Beautiful bags in every description, purses and card cases are shown, while in one case the teeth are dis­ played made into watch charms, cuff buttons, stick pins and brace­ lets. In the stump of a huge yellow fir treo at Black Rock, in the central part of Polk County, Oregon, is lo­ cated perhaps the most unique post- office in the United States. F. J. Holman is the postmaster of this hole in the log. In addition to sup­ plying his community with stamps and letters, Mr. Holman likewise operates the central exchange of tbe telephone company. The stump of tbe tree is some tweDty-five feet in diameter and the goverumeDt ap­ propriates each year a sufficient amount for its maintenance. When arranging his quarters in tbe old trunk, Postmaster Holman encoun­ tered an obstructing tentacle, which by a little planing and sawing be converted into a serviceable desk. In place of the greenery that for­ merly drooped from the bmnehes of the forest monarch may now be seen an empty mail sack or perhaps a full one that is to be taken by an outgoing train. The telephone wires connecting the homes and business places of the citizens of Black Rock and vicinity likewise lead to the tree, and Postmaster Holman ia perhaps one of the busiest officials in the service of Uncle Sam. Mr. Holman has held his job for some time, although there have been others who are jealous of the reputation which he has enjoyed in being the only man in the country who has found it profitable to in­ crease tbe revenues of tbe govern­ ment from the trunk of a tree and at the same time work tbe "hello” wires without any interruption to business. There has recently been a decline tbe metallic output of Oregon, and so far as present data show, this decline was more marked in 1011 than 1910, according to Charles G. Yale, of the U. S. Geo­ logical Survey. Tbe total number of nctivo mines shows little chaDge but some of the larger ODes have become less productive. Several gold dredgeH are in operation, but the most productive was not worked for several months in 1911. The hydraulic mines are the most pro­ ductive placers, and their number is greatest. Tbe deep mines of the state are yielding larger quantities of milling ore than formerly, but the grade of ore worked has de­ clined nearly one-half. This ac­ counts for the falling off in total gold production. Some silceous ore is shipped to smelters, but most of it is milled, and comparatively little copper ore is row being smelted. The output of silver in the state is small. Baker county is still the largest producer of gold. It includes tbe districts of Baker, Cornucopia, Cracker Creek, and Mormon Basin, and between 50 and GO producing mines, about half of which aru placers, though much the larger proportion of the gold is ob­ tained from deep mines. In gold output from placer mining Jose­ phine county leads. There are 12 counties in the state now producing gold. In southwestern Oregon tbe placer mines are producing larger quantities than the deep mines; in northeastern Oregon the lode mines are much the most productive. According to preliminary figures prepared by the Director of I he Mint,•Oregon produced, in 1911, $599,235 in gold and 69,116 fine ounces of silver, valued at $38.014, agaiost $681,400 in gold and 43,800 ounces of silver, valued at $23,600 in 1910. id ON A VISION JOURNEY Dr. Herman", eve-sight special­ ist, will be at the Baxter Hotel January 19 and 20. A thorough examination will be made of nerve and muscular troubles as well as the refractive conditions of the eyes. - - » ----- fljo b Printing— New presses, new material and experienced workmen. A guarantee that Herald printing will please. THE FORESTS.! OF OREGON The following extracts from Bulletin No. t, just issued by State Forestei Elliott, will prove of inter­ est to Herald readers: Oregon contains one-fifth of the standing limber in tbe United States. Its estimated value at present prices is $5,000,000.000. One-third of the stumpage of the c tate is in tbe national forests. The utlauce is in private holdings. It is the opinion of the 1» at emi­ nent authority on tbe subject in tbe United States that forest insects do as much damage to timber as fire. Since about 1,750,000,000 feet, board measure, of timber were des­ troyed by forest fires in this State last year, the active little bug must have been a very busy tellow to have equalled that record. The manufacturer of Oregon’s forest resources will employ an in­ dustrial army, afford a market for our other commodities and in every way tend to tbe development of a great and prosperous common­ wealth. Forest wealth is commu­ nity wealth. Protection of forest industries is the best form of pros­ perity insurance a timbered state can buy. Within a short time Oregon will surpass all other states in tbe output of its forest products. How long • tbe State will continue to rank first depends on tbe management of tbe existing forests. Protection from the great enemy forest fire must be assured belore conservative for­ est management is practicable. The Federal Fotest Service bolds over 16 million acres of forest land in this State. This stumpage is lor sale. The policy of the Forest Service in managing tbe forest land is to insure the continued production of tbe largest amount of the Eiest tim­ ber for the benefit of all the people. The Forest Service pay 25 per cent of the gross receipts from tbe forests to tbe counties in which tbe land is located, to be applied to the school aud road funds. Tbe streams of Oregon are capa­ ble of developing over four million horse power in electric energy. More than 4,500,000 acres of land iu this State may be brought under irrigation. Both for irrigation and for the development tof hydro­ electric power, continuous stream flow is essential. A forest cover at the headwaters of tbe streams is tbe most important factor in pro­ ducing this result. To THE T e ACHEKS OK O b E oo N : Knowing that you are willing to co-operate in educational work v ask you to co-opi encouraging all y - up ! growing of crops, u,. ,. sconce and poultry raisin / Ch. ben lik, to do things and respond to your encouragement. Your county will hold a fair at which your pupils will be asked to exhibit wbat they raise or make. The best of these exhibits will be brought to tbe state fair where liberal prizes wiii be awarded. Ask your pupils bow many of them would like to have a Shetland pony, a thoroughbred Jersey calf worth $100, a pure-bred pig that would take the prize at any stock show, a pure-bred sheep with wool so thick that they would have to feel around to find its eyes, or a goat with flossy hair that reaches to the ground; or secure a fine Scotch Collie puppie that knows as much as some people, or win a money prize that will buy just what they want. A ll these prizes and many more are to be given at the state fair next fall. Ask if they know how to grow potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, corn, etc. Ask how many of them like water melons or musk melons. The reason so many boys and girls in Oregon do not grow water melons is because they are afraid the other boys will steal them. If they all grow water melons there will be d o one steal. Ask them if they know how to feed chickens. If they buy three settings of eggs from one neighbor, and three hens from another, and in March put the two together they will probably raise some prize­ winners for the fair. Tbe children of Oregon can double the egg pro­ duction in three years. Ask them i f they know that the size of tbe pumpkin does not de­ pend upon the size of the boy or girl who plants the seed. I know a girl six years old who raised corn fourteen feet high. Let us show people that we are the most alive children in the world by 75,000 out of our 125,000 children exhibiting at the county fairs, and 35,000 at the state fair. Last year 14,000 children in Iowa had exhibits at January 19 and 20 are tbe days fairs. Let us beat them two to to have your eyes examined— these one. Yours very truly, are Dr. Hermann's dates at the L. R. A ld er m an , 8upt. Public Instruction. Baxter Hotel. ------ The voluntary pension distribu­ tions of the Southern Pacific Com­ pany will reach the million dollar mark before the first day of April, this year. SiDce tbe inauguration of tbe pension department in Janu­ ary 1903, $948,538 has been volun­ tarily disbursed among tbe retired employes of that corporation. The total disbursements for December. 1911, were $17,073. This was di­ vided among 467 former employes who have been retired for age, dis­ qualifying disability nnd total dis­ ability. The total pension dis­ bursements for tbe year 1911 were $184,704 05. The Southern Pacific pension fyst> in does not require any contributions from the en;-j ploies dmir g the tune they are in service, nor at any time. Length of continuous service is tbe only re­ quirement. All payments are made from the general funds of the rail­ road. Nosier St Norton GENERAL COMMISSION And Wholesale Merchants Feed, Flour, Hay, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Agents DeLaval Seperators. Freight and Ticket Agents Steamers Fifield, Bandon and Alliance. Coal Oii, Gasoline and Distillate Always on Hand. COQUILLE, Phone Home 1 1 1 : : OREGON Farmers 483