AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
Six and Eight Pages Every Friday.
F. B. BotD, PUBLISHER.
Application for entrance as 2nd class matter
made on Julyji,
1907 at the poBtofflce at Athena, Oregon
Uuileran Actot Congress of March 8, 1879
Subacrl tlon Ratal S
p r,,year. In advance 12.00
Single copies in wrappers, 6c,
(lATHENA, ORE.. JAN. 21 .1910
- The Suuday Uniou-Statesman bas
iutroduced aa interesting feature in
repriutiug matter from tbe old files
of the Walla Walla Union. Sunday's
issue contained a page, reproduced
from tbe first issue of tbe Union, dat
ed April 17, 1869. From wbiob we
glean that the sur.vev for tbe O. R. &
N, was being made down Meaoham
Creek; Lott Livermore and Miss Clara
Brown wore married; N. T. Caton as
president bad issued a call for tbe
first meeting of tbe Walla Walla fire
department; flour was selling at $4
and $1.60 per hbl, tacou at 16 and 18
cents, eggs at 20 cents per dozen;
Umatilla county nnder the "pesky"
dnmoorats bad gone behind $7,000 a
year for four years; the spring boats
bad arrived at Wallula and freight
, teams' andjaok trains were busy haul
ing freight to the cities; John Hailey
had improved tbe Overland stage ser
vioe to tbe extent that Walla Walla
was getting mail from Salt Lake in six
days and from tbe Atlantic states in
12 days; Tbe first steam saw mill was
being assembled in the Blue mono
tains; tbe "velooipedo mania" bad
traveled up tbe Columbia and reached
the Gardon oityi tbe editor advising
tbe relegation of the cayuse to the
reservation; Missoula Montana, was
destined to become tbe city of the
Northwest and bad broken off trading
with' Portland and San Francisco,
giving the trade for. the first time to
eastern markets; a oouple of saloon
keepers had dropped in to see the
press run, and bad regaled tbe editor
(name not mentioned), with beer and
bologna sausage. ' Tbe obronioles
make interesting reading, especially
for old timers, and tbe Union-Statesman
promisos a continuation of pro
ducing them as a feature of the Sun
day morning edition.
Mail order houses, congressional
franking privileges, together with
thousand of tons of misoelaneous clap
trap literature has caused the usual
deQoit in tbo post office department,
lhat something should be done to
gradually decrease the deficit and
bring the service close to self-support
all will admit. But it would be a
mistake to effect that reduction at
the expense of the newspapers and
their readors. To increase tbe postage
on gonuine newspapers would be
equivalent to putting a tax on know
ledge. What with tbe steady increase
in tbe price of print paper and printed
supplies generally the cost of running
a paper is muoh greater than it was
a few years ago, and every additional
cost becomes a burden. There are
other and more reasonable ways in
wbiob the post oHloe dodolt might
be reduoed. The franking privilege
is generally regarded as an abnse that
might well be abolished with consid
erable saving of expeusn. ' A further
decrease oould also be effected by
changing tbe postal relations between
tbe post oflloe department and the
other departments. Then, too, there
is every ronson to boliove that the
government pays 'the railroads too
much for oarryiug the mail.
After pending in courts for nineteen
yours, tbe suit brought by the federal
government to reocver IGO.,975 acres
of Indian laud near North Yakima
from tho Northern Paoillo railway,
hns teou deoided against the corpor
ation. The laud is valued at more
than if 3,000,000. The ruilway claim
ed it under a congressional grant in
1887. The government contention was
that it bolouged to the Indians under
a treaty made in. 1869 by Gov. Issao
Stevens. Judge E. II. Whitsou held
agaiust the railway oompauy which
will take uu appeal to the supreme
court.
We read uu extract from the first
issue of the Walla Walla Union,
vublished. In 1869, where tacou was
quoted at 16 and 18! cents per pouucl.
Compared with the'present price, the
days of '69 were easy. Mining days,
they were, too. Flour was $1.50 to
$1.80 per btl, and pack trains from
Montana were loaded with it at those
prices. In thoso days the wage earner
was paid iu piopoition to what he
paid for food products. Today be is
paying uioro for food products than
the wiuer bought them for iu Walla
Walla, or his father paid daring tbe
war of the rebellion while his earning
oepaoity is kept at about normal.
Everything has gone up sky-high ex
cept wages, toe inevitable result be
ing that millions of families through
out the United States are in distressed
circumstances and bitterly io want of
tbe bare necessaries of life. Just how
long the consumer can be made to
bear tbe exoessive price burden de
pends on tbe length of time he can
stand the "squeeze." Congressional
investigation is to be made into the
cause of high prices, and big city
papers are freely predicting a crash.
The usual quota of flood waters are
found in the basements of Main street
business houses, and premises in tbe
south part of town have received the
customary overflow as the result of
inability of tbe powers that be to con
trol freshets wbiob gravitate toward
town from the east. Just so long as
tbe praotioe of allowing Main street
to serve tbe capacity of an open trail
raoe remains in vogue, so long will
tbe usual consequents be tbe result.
Once a year a ditch from tbe head of
Main street to tbe oreek is talked of.
And this is about tbe time of year tbe
ditch is tbe prime topic Have you
thought of it? Years ago that ditch
question was brought up. We do not
remember wbetbet it was ever used as
a campaign issue or not. Presumably
not, else it would have been made. Or
maybe it was, and met with defeat.
Anyway, the effect of Tuesday's flood
again furnishes moisture for reflection
and tbe ditob question may be disouss
ed in the good, old, timebonored way.
If Main street is to be continued in
use as a oanal for general drainage
purposes, tbe Press would advocate
the enlargement of tbe side gutters,
with a concrete wall of sufficient
height to proteot tbe abutting pro
perty. Away with tbe ditoh, an y
way. It might cost something and
serve a benefloial purpose.
INSTINCT AND REASON.
As a direct result of tbe so-called
Ballinger-Pinobot controversy, the
Northwest is getting more wide-spread
publicity than ever before. The con
tention over water power sites in
Washington, Oregon, Montana and
Idaho has given the, whole country
food for thought. Knowledge of
Alaska bas always been vague, away
from tbe Paoiflo Coast, but tbe pres
ent difference of opinion as to the
best way to conserve the natural re
sources of that vast storehouse is
making it known in every home.
This form of magazine and newspaper
publioity foi Alaska and the north
west will continue through tbe winter,
in view of tbe congressional investi
gation soon to start. So that in tbe
end good . is sure to come out of a
regrettable episode.
A Philadelphia newspaper has ad
vised the farmers of Pennsylvania and
tbe East to visit the orohards of the
Northwest, to learn a lesson in fruit
culture. It contends that they oan
raise just 'as fine a quality of apples
on tbe Atlantic ooast, if proper care
is taken to prevent diseases and pests.
Attention is also oalled "to theattrao
tive manner in wbiob Washington
and Oregon apples are sorted and
paoked, whereas the eastern fruit is
dumped iuto a barrel. It oonoludes
that this is only one of the many les
sons that tbe eastern farmer oan learn
from his western brother.
A new kind of blasting powder,
wbiob is more powerful than dyna
mite, which oannot be exploded by
oououssion, wbiob leaves absolutely
no poisonous gases after explosion,
whioh will not freeze, and whioh is
absolutely harmless exoept ' when ig
nited by a fuse and nnder confinement
is to be tried in the mines of the Coeur
d'Alenes. It bas been tried in tbe
southern part of the state and has
given satisfaction. It is known as
"oxygen," and is said to be the inven
tion of a Southern Idaho man.
A brother editor proolaims: "How
dear to our heart is tbe old silver dol
lar when some kind subscriber present
it in view; the liberty head without
necktie and oollar, and all the strange
things that to us seem so new; the
wide spreading eagle, the arrows be
low it, the stars and the words with
the strange things they tell, the coin
of our fathers, we're glad that we
know it, for some time or other 'twill
coma iu right well the spread eagle
dollar, the star spangled Jdollar, tbe
old silver dollar we all love so well."
Coos Bay seems to be in line for
some real railroad building and both
the Hill and Harriman systems are
reported to be showing iuterest in
that section. It is said work is about
to be resumed on tbe Southern Paoiflo
line from Drain and 'tne Northern
Paoiflo is said to be negotiating for
big coal holdings, which lie close to
MarahUeld.
An Interesting Illustration of tho Two
Traits of Monkeys.
An illustration showing (be differ
ence between instinct and reason in
monkeys came under tbe observation
of David Starr Jordan, tbe famous
naturalist. At one time he bad two
lively Mncncus monkeys called Bob
and Jocko. These were nut aud fruit
eating monkeys and instinctively knew
Just how to crack nuts and peel fruits.
At the same time he bad a baby mon
key, Mono, of a kind tbat had the egg
eating instinct. But Mono bad never
yet seen an egg.
To euch of tbe three monkeys Dr.
Jordan gave an egg. tbe first that any
of them had ever seen. Baby Mono,
descended from egg eating ancestors,
bandied bis egg with all tbe Inherited
expertness of a long developed in
stinct. He cracked It with his upper
teeth, making a bole In It, and sucked
out all Its substance. Then, holding
the eggsuell up to tbe light and see
ing there was no longer anything in
It be threw It away. All this be did
mechanically, automatically and just
as well with tbe first egg as with any
other be afterward bad. And all eggs
since given him be has treated In the
same way.
Tbe monkey Bob took bis egg for
some kind of nut. He broke It with
his teeth and tried to pull off the shell.
When tbe inside ran out and felt on
the ground he looked at it for a mo
ment in bewilderment, then with both
bands scooped up the yolk and tbe
sand mixed with It and swallowed it.
Then be stuffed tbe shell into his
mouth. This act was not instinct; It
was reason. He was not familiar by
inherited instinct with eggs. He would
handle one better uext time, however.
Reason very often makes mistakes at
first, but when it is trained It becomes
a means far more valuable and power
ful than instinct.
Tbe third monkey, Jocko, tried to
eat his egg In much the same way
that Bob did; but, not liking tbe taste,
he threw it a Way. St. Nicholas.
EASY MONEY.
Picked Up by the Sharp Chap Who Bet
. on a Word.
Just by way of showing how easy it
Is for some men to pick ui a few dol
lars by tbeir wits a young fellow
strolled into a cafe tbe other after
noon and, joining in conversation that
was being carried on by convivial
spirits, declared be was the most "in
fortunate" Individual on earth. He
immediately began telling a story of
his personal troubles, but before be
bad got tbe narrative well under way
there was a cborus of Interruptions,
and tbe talkative young man was po
litely informed tbat bis English need
ed revising, since be should have used
tbe word "unfortunate" instead of ''in
fortunate.' The newcomer Insisted that infortu
nate was the correct word to use, and
tbe argument waxed warm. Finally,
with a show of beat, tbe young man
who started the trouble declared tbat
while he bad only a few dollars he
would wager them that be was cor
rect. So anxious were his friends to lay
wagers with him that be did not have
money enough to meet all tbe de
mands, but be succeeded in putting tip
$15 in separate small bets. Tbe men
who were certain that the garrulous
young man was wrong In tbe use of
the word infortunate sent out for a
dictionary only to find that they bad
been "stung" on a "sure thing" bet,
tbe big book on spelling showing that
infortunate. Is perfectly proper and
means unfortunate.
"Yes," said the winner of tbe bets
as be pocketed bis new portion of
wealth. "I have won money on that
before. I collected $10 this afternoon
on a similar wager." Philadelphia
Record.
Flying Fishes.
A dazzling silvery splendor per
vades tbe surface of the body of the
best known species of the flying fish.
Tbe summit of its head, its back and
its sides are of azure blue. This blue
becomes spotted upon the dorsal fin,
the pectoral fin and the tail. This fish
is the common prey of tbe sea birds
and the more voracious fishes, such
as the shark. Its enemies abound in
air and water. If it succeeds in es
caping tbe Charybdis of the water the
chances are in favor of its meeting, its
fate in the Scylla of tbe atmos '
If it escapes the jaws of the sb
will probably fall to tbe share
seagull. :,
Too Honest. '
WoggsYoung Smith has fail
business again. I'm sorry for th
but too close adherence to high )
pies ruined him. Boggs Ho
Woggs He advertised, "Our pi
is thoroughly tested before It
the factory." which is a very hard
thing to live up to when you are man
ufacturing dynamite. Puck.
Quite at Home.
Bacon And did you feel at borne
traveling In Russia? Egbert Ob, quite
at home. When tbe brakemen called
out tbe stations I couldn't understand
them any better than I can over here.
Yonkers Statesman.
Thousand Dollar Illustration
Income, $1,000; expenditure, $909.99
happiness.
Income, $1,000; expendltnre. $1,000.90
misery.
Income, $1,000; expenditure. $1,500
pxy time. Puck.
Poor Living.
Madder Brown-There goes old Dau
ber. He's living on his reputation.
Maulstick-No w onder he looks so thin.
-Illustrated Bits.
IK..
he Athena:
Company
lanni
t!!.r. V-."M
i.n.i ays-si.
,-, 7,' i.r.ii. i'.V;
is; v;tM
Post Building, Main Street, Athena, Oreo.
.1 1....
Farm I nnr.c anrl IMf 1 Drrmorf 1 I
I Ul III L.UIIUJ UIIU VHIJ I vpvi lJr,
Listed for Sale at Right Prices
Good wheat land, 800 acres
five miles Southwest of Pen
dleton 500 acres in wheat,
which goes with the place.
It all lies in one body and is
level enough for any kind of
machinery. Plenty of water.
Price, $24 per acre if bought
within the next two months,
A real bargain for some one.
Four sections of wheat land
in Township One, Morrow
county, can be had for $25
per acre. Well watered and
all fenced 2OO0 acrestillable
and level enough for a com
bine. Owner will either sell
or exchange for Portland
suburban property.
480 acres of finest wheat
land in Umatilla county and
highly improved, canjbe'had '
now for $85 per acre $15 be
low adjacent lands. A splen
did opportunity.
""'El
v.
a.
We have a first-class Sta-',
tionery Steam Threshing out- ' '
fit for sale cheap. Full equip-;
ment and ready for the field. ,. .
4'
Ot -0 iV
'lj ij i:
Should you want choice city i
property, see us. we naveiiw " -'ho-j
Property bought, sold and ex;' v,
changed in all parts of Oregon ,(i , ,;...;
and Washington. Box 274, 5 n ;
'Phone, 355. iii
V..iWii. iii.jii riii iii juiii ,.i"L ..irniiLJniri ...iiti m imnjiim.ii, .. .. jWi j'H 0 ' 'iw't'"l;'''.j
( : : r ' 1 1 ---------- sV
Cures ry
AH Kidney and
Bladder Diseases
iney Cure will positively cure any case of
Madder disease that is not beyond the
:dicine. No medicine can do more.
ii juu notice any irregularities, commence taking
Foley's Kidnty Cure at once and avoid a fatal malady.
A Harohant Cured After Having Given Up Hop.
Foley & Co., Chicago. s
Gentlemen: I was afflicted with Kidney tad
Bladder trouble for six years and had tried numerous
preparations without getting any relief and had given
up hope of ever being cured when FOLEY'S KIDNEY
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six fifty-cent bottles, I was cured of Kidney and
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twenty years and I owe it to FOLEY'S KIDNEY
CURE. James Smith, Bentons Ferry, V. Va.
A Veteran of the Civil War Cured After Ten Yoara
of Suffering.
R. A. Cray, J.P., of Oakville, Ind., writes:
Most of the time for ten years I was confined to my
bed with some disease of the kidneys. It was so
severe I could not move part of the time. I consulted
the best medical skill available, but got no relief until
FOLEY'S KIDNEY CURE was recommended to me.
I am grateful to be able to say that it entirely cced me."
Refuse Substitutes
Two Sizes. 50 Cents and $1.00